cafe rondo
by moeten
Summary: Have you always wanted to be a cute girl waitress at a coffee shop? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! Call Boar's Hat Cafe, ask for Meliodas!
1. the meeting

_it's a coffee shop au. idk._

* * *

 ** _CUTE WAITRESS WANTED_ **

_Have you always wanted to be a cute girl waitress at a coffee shop? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! Call Boar's Hat Cafe, ask for Meliodas!_

* * *

It was the drawing on the bottom half of the paper, a pig wearing a hat shaped like an upside-down coffee cup, that had caught Elizabeth's eye: pigs had been Elizabeth's favorite animal since she was little, and this was a very cute drawing of one.

She's less impressed when she saw the advertisement part of the flyer, drawn to look like a speech bubble coming out of the pig's mouth. _Cute girl waitress_? Is it even legal to advertise for…

"Terrible, right?"

Elizabeth jumps. The manager of _Camelot Books_ , a dark haired woman, handed Elizabeth her change and math textbook.

"Oh… I mean, the pig is very cute!" Elizabeth replies, feeling her face grow hot. She doesn't want to just _agree_ , but…

"I'm acquainted with the owner, so I agreed to let them put their advertisement up," the shopkeeper says with a shrug and a mysterious smile. "But that new manager… He's a real pervert." Her smile widens. "You should pay them a visit sometime."

"D- do you think so?" Elizabeth says, gathering her new textbook in her arms. She avoids looking up at the manager. Why would she be told to go? Is the manager suggesting that she should be perved on, or is a cute girl? A cute girl to be perved on? Or —

"Sure. They're just up the street, and have really great pastries. Have a nice day," the shopkeeper adds.

"You too!" Elizabeth wilts with relief. She was just joking. Making conversation. That's all.

Still…

 _Boar's Hat Cafe_. It was definitely an odd name for a coffee shop. Although Elizabeth had been coming to Camelot Books now and then for a while, she'd never really explored the neighborhood: her metro stop was at the corner the bookstore sat at, and she'd never had reason to venture past. Outside the bookstore, she looks up the street. This part of the city is older, with brick rowhouses and shops on corners. It's not hard to pick out which one must be Boar's Hat: it lies kitty-corner to Camelot Books, with a yellow and green striped awning.

Elizabeth finds herself crossing the street and walking up the block towards it. She doesn't know why: maybe because that picture was cute? Maybe that ad was a joke? Anyway, a pastry sounds good before she heads home. There's no way the bookstore manager was serious when she said the manager of Boar's Hat was a pervert: she'd been smiling, after all.

The cafe sits on the corner of 7th Street, with large glass windows in both directions. Through them, Elizabeth can see a few tables by the windows, a counter with pastry displays and a register, and another counter with stools for customers. Paintings of pigs decorate the walls to keep up with the theme, and the menu lists coffees, sandwiches, and various baked goods. In other words, it's a perfectly normal cafe. She sighs in relief and only then opens the door. A bell rings: Elizabeth looks up and smiles to see that the door chime is shaped like a pig, too.

"Welcome to the Boar Hat!" the half naked woman says.

Elizabeth yelps, stumbles backwards, and falls on her butt before she can catch her balance. The pig chimes softly again as the door closes behind her.

"Oh no! I'm _so_ sorry!"

Elizabeth looks up, her face burning in embarrassment. The woman is looming over her now, her face also red. With one hand, she holds a pigtail over her face, and she has the other extended down towards Elizabeth. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Um…" Elizabeth isn't sure if she's blushing out of embarrassment, pain, or the fact that this woman is _still_ not wearing clothes. "I… no, it's quite alright," she says, politeness kicking in.

"I've told you a million times, Diane," a man says from somewhere deeper in the café. "At least put a skirt on if you're going to hang out here."

"But boss!" the woman — Diane? — says, completely forgetting about Elizabeth to whirl around. "I was just trying to help out by greeting customers!"

"Who wouldn't be shocked if some giant woman in a leotard pounced on them when they're tryin' to get a coffee?" another man, with a deeper voice, says. "Don't ya have any sense of modesty?"

"Shut up, Ban! You're the one who put up that pervy ad, and now you're complaining? A cute customer like me can only help this crappy business!"

"Wow, that was harsh."

"I didn't mean it, boss!" Diane's voice is suddenly syrupy again.

Elizabeth is still sitting on the floor, dazed and embarrassed by her fall and all the yelling it seems to have caused. Maybe if she just sits here and doesn't move… then somehow… she can crawl out the door and escape?

Someone approaches her and bends down, picks up her dropped book. "Wow, you must be a serious student if you carry math textbooks around with you," he says. Elizabeth looks up. A blonde man with a gentle expression smiles down at her. "Sorry about all this. Here, let me help you up."

He offers his hand. Elizabeth still wants to just sink into the floor, but his expression is so kind… she nods and takes his hand. Once on her feet, the man hands her her book back. "There you go. Now, how about a coffee on the house? Sorry for these loud idiots."

"Oh… no, it's okay," Elizabeth says. It's really not okay. She just wants to leave and never, ever come back. Find a new bookstore to buy college books at. Stay out of this part of the city _forever_.

"I insist! Ban, get her a coffee!" Standing, Elizabeth is actually taller than the blond man, who is wearing an apron with the shop's mascot printed on the front. Is he the manager? He must be, right?

"Alriiiight," the man behind the counter drawls. He's wearing the apron too, but unlike 'boss,' his overall appearance is… kind of scary. He looks at Elizabeth, and she looks down. "How do you want it?"

"Um… just… a latte," she says. She wants to ask for it to go, but with everyone staring at her… she doesn't want to be rude…

"Coming up," Ban says.

"Thank you," she says softly.

"Don't worry about it!" Boss says. "We at the Boar's Hat pride ourselves in making a terrible first impression!"

Elizabeth is so startled that a laugh escapes her. She covers her mouth. What a weird thing to say so proudly! Boss smiles kindly at her. "That's better. Sit down! I'll be over with your coffee in a second."

She nods, and picks a table far away from the counter, by the window. There are only a couple other customers at the moment, and they're all polite enough to not look at her, which makes her feel a little better. Still, her heart is racing.

Because the cafe is mostly empty, it's quiet, and she can hear the rattling of cups and the coffee machine, and Boss and the leotard woman having a brief conversation as she orders something. Elizabeth closes her eyes and plays with one of her earrings, willing herself to calm down. It's just embarrassment. It won't kill her. It's only as big a deal as she lets it be.

A chair close to her scrapes backwards. Elizabeth opens her eyes to find the leotard woman — Diane — sitting across from her, holding a plate with two croissants.

"I'm really sorry for startling you," she says, looking down bashfully. "I got you a chocolate croissant."

"Oh…! Thank you…" Elizabeth says.

"And I'm sorry I'm not wearing a skirt," she adds, glancing over at the counter. "I'm a dance student. My studio is just around the corner, so I like to come here before practice," she says, cupping her chin and mouth with one hand.

"You're a dance student?" _Obviously! She just said that!_ Elizabeth clears her throat. "That's amazing! I'm sorry I was so startled by you. I - I was thinking, it makes sense you're a dancer; you're so beautiful!"

"Really?" Diane asks, blushing. Elizabeth _hadn't_ been thinking that in the moment, not really, but it's actually true: Diane is tall and has a good figure, and _much_ more confidence about it than Elizabeth does; she could never casually walk around in a dancer's leotard.

"Yeah!"

Diane giggles. "My name's Diane. Do you live around here?"

"I'm Elizabeth. I'm in college at Five Clans…"

"No way! Me too! What year are you? Do you live in the dorms?" Diane interrupts, leaning over the table and beaming at Elizabeth.

"U- um, I'm a third year, but I commute from the city, I still live at home," Elizabeth explains, taken aback but smiling at Diane's enthusiasm.

"Oh, that explains it. I'm a second year, and I'm totally stuck in the dorms. It sucks! If you were too, I'd say we could room together."

"You don't waste time, do you?" Elizabeth giggles.

"Nope! Modesty and hesitancy are for the weak!" Diane crows, winking and grabbing one of the chocolate croissants. "What are you studying?"

"Socio-economics," Elizabeth mumbles.

"Wow, seriously? I would have imagined something less… I mean, if that's your passion, who cares?" Diane laughs, tugging at one of her pigtails.

"It's not, exactly, it's just that…" Elizabeth trails off as the boss approaches with two cups.

"Here you are, ladies! One Boar's Hat latte, and one caramel mocha coffee!" The blond places the cups before both of the women, and then sits in a chair himself. "So, Elizabeth, what do you think?"

"I… how did you know my name?" Elizabeth asks.

"We were listening in at the counter," the boss says proudly.

"Eww, boss," Diane says, taking a sip from her mug, which is covered in several inches of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. "It's rude to eavesdrop."

"Um, Diane, do you work here?" Elizabeth asks, wondering why she calls him 'boss.'

"Nope! She's just a serial loiterer!"

"That's so mean!" Diane pouts, as the boss laughs.

"Actually, I've been friends with Diane for years," he explains to Elizabeth. "No matter how hard I try, I can't get rid of her. She's here all the time, for some reason."

"Like you even want to! A cute girl like me is great advertisement for your business!"

"If customers see a mostly-naked chick running around in here, they'll get a totally wrong impression of this place," the boss says thoughtfully. "Then again… 'Strip Coffee Cafe…'" He sighs dreamily. "Anyway, I'd much rather see this one half naked than you."

"Ughhhh," Diane says. "Boss, you're the worst."

Elizabeth's ears are on fire. She's pretty sure the boss was joking, but… but… what kind of a thing to say is that? She looks down at her coffee. There's a pig's face drawn on the milk foam on top.

"Anyway, it's just me and Ban working here full time," boss continues. "We have someone on weekends who thought that 'cute girls' meant him too, somehow, but we're looking for afternoon help. Just a couple of hours a day until we close, to bus tables and run the register."

"I said I'd help out whenever you wanted me to!" Diane says, resting her chin in her hands.

"No thanks!" Boss says right back. "So, Elizabeth, what do you say?"

"…huh?" Elizabeth looks up to see boss smiling over at her, Diane playing with her hair just beside him.

"Will you take the job?"

"Oh! I wasn't — I didn't come here to apply, I just wanted —"

"Yeah, I know," he says, "but I have a good feeling about you." He nods. "I always hire people on a 'good feeling' basis. So the job is yours if you want it."

Diane makes a sulking noise, leaning back in her seat and sipping loudly from her coffee.

"But… but, you don't even know me! And I don't know any of you!" Elizabeth stammers.

"That's easy. I already told you, Ban works as our baker. Diane is serial loiterer number one. That guy in the corner over there is serial loiterer number two. Gowther is our weekend crossdresser, you're our new waitress, and _I_ am the manager and boss around here. Meliodas."

He smiles at her, with the calmest, most striking green eyes Elizabeth has ever seen. Something about him makes her feel like everything is going to be okay. She feels herself starting to smile, just a little…

…Which is crazy, because what is even going on here? How did she end up with a part time job when all she wanted was to pick up a new math textbook?

"I - I must insist that I have an interview, or, something, before you agree to hire me!" Elizabeth stammers.

"Okay! Then come back tomorrow at three. It'll be great working together, Elizabeth!"

Melidolas pats her on the shoulder as he stands back up, leaving Elizabeth confused and dizzy in his wake. She looks desperately over at Diane, hoping for a clue or sympathy or an idea as to what just happened, but Diane is still sulking over her coffee.

"Oh!" the boss says as he gets back behind the counter. "And welcome to the Boar's Hat!"


	2. the interview

Elizabeth still feels flustered, taken completely aback, when Meliodas leaves the table, her mind spinning and racing. She's… interviewing for a job? But she just wanted to buy a textbook, and… well… now…

Diane changes the subject once they're alone at their table. They've never been in the same class, but they've had a few of the same teachers at university: Elizabeth is glad to chit-chat about normal stuff, complain about classes and teachers. By the time they finish their coffees, Elizabeth knows that Diane has an older sister, a niece and nephew she adores, has been dancing since she was ten, played hockey and practiced Judo for four and seven years, loves sweets, music, and shopping, hates bugs, and thinks her college roommate is a total bore. She carries most of the conversation, and Elizabeth doesn't mind: her head is still spinning a little, and it's nice to not have to do anything except listen.

Diane seems like an incredibly friendly and open person. Right away, Elizabeth can tell they could become great friends if they keep hanging out… but that would mean hanging out at Boar's Hat. But then, she's going to be working here… maybe? So it's alright? How did all this happen so fast?

Meliodas leaves them mostly alone, dealing with an afternoon rush. Elizabeth watches him over Diane's shoulder as they talk: he laughs and chats with most of the customers who come in, talking to them like they're all old friends. The cook, Ban, stays mostly in the kitchen, but comes out a couple of times to trade barbs with some regular or another. The coffee shop rarely gets quiet. It seems like a warm, happy place… a friendly place… but…

"Oh, crap!" Diane says abruptly, standing up from the table in the middle of a story about her finals. "I have to get going to practice!"

"I should get going too," Elizabeth says. She doesn't want to hang out here without Diane, and is a little glad for the excuse to leave.

"Which way are you going? We can walk together! Oh, and give me your phone number! Boss, I'm taking off!" Diane adds, yelling towards the kitchen.

"Don't come back for the rest of the week!" Meliodas yells back, sticking his head out from the back room. "Oh, Elizabeth! You're leaving, too?"

"Um, yes," she says, tucking her hair back behind her shoulder.

"Please, boss, you can't stand to be without me," Diane crows.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Elizabeth," Meliodas says, ignoring Diane. "Remember, the interview is at three. See you then!"

"O - okay! I'll see you tomorrow," Elizabeth says, not at all sure how she even ended up in this situation. She waves awkwardly, following a sulking Diane out the door. "Bye!"

Her metro stop is in the opposite direction, but Elizabeth follows Diane around the corner. The other woman is obviously sulking, and she's a little concerned. "Are you okay? I - I'm sure Meliodas was just teasing you," she adds, hoping that's the case.

"I know he was," Diane says grumpily.

"Oh."

Diane crosses her arms over her chest as they walk. It has the effect of pushing her breasts up: that, and the fact that she's only wearing a dancer's leotard and flats, causes more than one pedestrian to blatantly stare as they walk by. Elizabeth blushes and looks away, embarrassed even if Diane isn't. That confidence is really something else…

"He said you've been friends for years?" Elizabeth tries again, still walking uselessly besides Diane. She's not entirely asking to try and cheer Diane up; she wants to know what she thinks about him. Is it really safe to take this job? Seriously, how did she end up in this situation?

"Yeah," Diane says, drawling out the word in a sigh. She uncrosses her arms and rubs her forehead. "We were in the same foster home when I was ten." She says it casually, but it causes Elizabeth to almost stumble, surprised and surprised at the easy-going way Diane said it. Maybe because of her background, but she's never met someone in foster care before. Let alone two people. All she knows is from TV, which is of course all horror stories. "Boss is two years older than me. I was new to the system, so he helped me out a lot. He's always looked out for me," Diane says, her expression downcast.

"That sounds… wonderful," Elizabeth says. "Not the foster care, but… that he'd take care of you like that."

"I guess," Diane says. Instead of her earlier enthusiasm and chattiness, she seems withdrawn. Because of bad memories? Or something else? If they're so close, why _doesn't_ Meliodas hire her for his cafe? Elizabeth frowns. She's missing something.

"Well, I think it's amazing!" she says, as brightly as she can. "My sisters tease me a lot too — Veronica mostly — so I totally get it. The two of you must be really close!"

"I don't _want_ to be his kid sister!" Diane snaps, turning on Elizabeth. Her eyes go wide, and Diane immediately looks apologetic. "Sorry. Um, anyway, that's my studio right there," she adds, and then smiles a little hesitantly. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Y- yes! See you tomorrow! It was so nice to meet you!" Elizabeth says, smiling back.

* * *

She takes the next metro stop home. It's half an hour from the Boar's Hat to the city, and she spends the trip looking out the window at the black tunnels, broken by the occasional flashes of light. Some of Elizabeth's classmates back in high school had hated to take the train, had cars and drivers to shuttle them to and fro, but she's always found it somehow soothing: the rocking of the cars, the repetition of dark and light…

When she gets home, she greets the housekeeper. "Is Father having dinner here tonight?"

"I'm sorry, no," is the reply, with a shake of the housekeeper's head. "Your father is having a business dinner."

"Oh… okay!" Elizabeth tries not to be disappointed. Her father was first elected governor when she was eight; she should be used to this after so many years. It hadn't been so bad when she was young, but now that Margaret is married and has her own home and family, and Veronica has left home to serve in the Defense Force… "You can go home for the day if you'd like. I can make my own dinner."

"Thank you, Miss Elizabeth," the housekeeper says with a smile.

Elizabeth makes herself a bowl of cereal, and eats it alone leaning on the kitchen counter. The house is too big and too quiet with no one home. There's something unbearable about it. For so many years, it was so loud and happy. Maybe she should leave home, too, but wouldn't an apartment be just as lonely?

 _I'd say we could room together!_ Diane's words echo in Elizabeth's memory, and she smiles to herself; shakes her head. No… she's just being silly. She turns on the TV in the den on low volume and starts on her homework with reruns for company. When she hears her father come home a few hours later, she rushes up to hug him at the door.

"Elizabeth, my dear," he says, returning her hug. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine!" Elizabeth says, pressing her head to her father's chest. She's a bit taller than average for a girl, but her father has always loomed over her. It's always made her feel safe. "How are you? How was your dinner?"

"Fine, it was fine," father says vaguely. He pats her on the head. "You weren't waiting up for me, were you?"

"No, I was studying," Elizabeth says. She's not sure what makes her say it, but all at once the words just come out: "Father, do you think it would be okay if I got a part-time job?"

* * *

At three o'clock, Elizabeth rushes from her social science class to the Boar's Head cafe. She'd worn a black dress with a white collar she's always thought made her look sort of mature and professional: this is a job interview, after all. She's never had a part time job before, but she spent a little time researching online for interview tips. _Have examples. Make eye contact. Ask questions._ She's not sure how much they apply in this particular situation, but it makes her feel better to be prepared.

Meliodas greets her as the pig charm rings. "Hey! Elizabeth! Just a second!" He's behind the counter, waiting for a customer to pay. Elizabeth smiles nervously, gulps, and smiles again when the teenage customer looks to see who the boss is yelling at. "Actually," Meliodas adds, "you might as well meet King here, He's shameless loiterer number two who I mentioned the other day."

"Oh, it's - it's nice to meet you," Elizabeth says, ducking her head. She's really not sure about that introduction.

"Mm," the boy, King, says, glancing disinterestedly at her. He's short, with coppery hair, but it's his sharp eyes that make Elizabeth want to stand up a little straighter. He seems unfriendly.

"I'm Elizabeth!" she says. "I'm interviewing for a job here. It's nice to meet you! Um, are you a high school student around here?" she adds, trying to make friendly conversation.

Meliodas grins over the boy's shoulder. King scratches at his jaw. "I'm twenty-four."

" _What_!?" Elizabeth yelps, immediately covering her mouth. There's no way! "I'm - I'm sorry! But - you look so young! But that's good, I mean, I never would have guessed you're older than me - I - I bet it will be great when you're middle aged!"

"That's it," Meliodas says happily, as Elizabeth shrinks from King's increasingly disgusted look, "you're hired."

"W - what, no!" Elizabeth protests, her face burning. Why does she always do this? Why does she embarrass herself whenever she steps foot in this cafe?

"Here's your coffee," Meliodas adds. The boy… man… King — takes a cup of black coffee and turns back to Elizabeth.

"Don't worry about it," he says disinterestedly, before heading to a table in the corner.

Elizabeth can't move. Her whole body is frozen in her humiliation. Why did she dig that hole so deeply? Why can't she say anything right? "Seriously, don't worry about it," Meliodas says, coming around from behind the counter. "King's a total mystery, but he's not a bad guy." The boss is speaking loud enough that King must be able to hear, but there's no reaction from the corner table. "Come with me," Meliodas adds. She nods, and forces her legs to move.

He leads Elizabeth behind the counter and through the door to the kitchen. Ban doesn't appear to be in today, and Meliodas takes Elizabeth into a tiny office space with just room enough for a desk, computer, and two chairs. "King's another regular here," he explains as they walk. "Next to Diane, he's probably the _most_ regular. He always gets a black coffee, and then just loiters around like he didn't just buy the cheapest item on the menu. It took three weeks for any of us to even get a name from him, but he doesn't cause problems. Here, have a seat."

Elizabeth sits down, looking at her lap as Meliodas sits at the desk chair. The room is small enough that their knees practically touch when he turns the seat towards her. "Sooo, your interview," Meliodas says, his voice turning mysterious. "I've been preparing for this. Whenever you're ready."

"I - I'm ready," Elizabeth says. She forces herself to look up.

He's smiling kindly at her, tilts his head. "Okay! What's your first question?"

"Um… huh?" The interview guides had said to have prepared questions for the employer, but she thought she was supposed to answer questions first. "Um, well, how about… what are my hours?"

"Weekday afternoons from four to eight, and availability on weekends if we need you," Meliodas says. "We close at seven, but there's cleanup and stuff to do."

"Okay," she says. That all seems reasonable enough.

For a moment, they just look at one another. Meliodas tilts his head again. "Is that it?"

"Oh, no! Um…" Elizabeth really can't think of anything relevant to ask. "Um, how long have you owned this cafe?"

"I don't!" he says proudly.

"Huh?"

"Actually, this cafe is owned by the mom of a friend of mine," Meliodas explains with a smile. "She has a bad case of wanderlust, so she took off to travel the world about three years ago. I offered to manage it in her place."

"That's… that's really generous of you," Elizabeth says.

"Plus, I get to live rent-free in their old apartment upstairs," Meliodas continues, rubbing his chin. "This whole crazy pig theme is from her, by the way. The only pigs I care about are roasted or fried."

"I love pigs!" Elizabeth protests. "The pig decorations are the reason I was even interested in this cafe!"

"Really…? Huh, then I guess they have a use after all," he says with a laugh. She smiles back at him, and tucks her hair behind her ear. "So," he adds, "do you have any other questions for me?"

"No," she says with a shake of her head.

"Huh, really? That's weird. You're the one who insisted on interviewing me, after all," Meliodas says, surprise etched on his face.

"What?" Elizabeth looks at him, but he looks blankly curious. "I didn't —"

"Yeah, you did. You said you couldn't take this job without an interview. You didn't even ask for my birthday, sign, if I was single or not…" He holds up finger after finger as he lists off potential questions.

"What?" she says again. "N- no! You were supposed to interview me, to make sure I'm suitable for this job!"

"But I already decided to hire you," Meliodas says. He laughs at the expression on her face. "Well then… are _you_ single? What's your bra size? Wow, that was mostly a joke," he adds quickly, because Elizabeth can feel her ears growing hot and is staring at her fists in her lap again. "Sorry, I'm used to tasteless people like Diane and Ban. But I don't have any questions for you. I decided you'd be a great employee, and that's all I need."

"But - why?" she asks, forcing herself to look up at his calm smile. "Why would you think that about me?"

He looks serious, meeting his green eyes to hers, his expression thoughtful and grave… for a second. Then he laughs. "I dunno! I just do! So what do you say? Will you take the job?" Elizabeth hesitates, and then nods. "Awesome. Now I'll give you the tour. By the way, I'm instituting a uniform for female employees. Do you have any mini skirts at home?"

"Um, no, but…" Elizabeth trails after him out of the office.

"HEY! Elizabeth!" Diane yells when they enter the main cafe area. She's sitting at King's table in the corner, but loses all interest in him as soon as Meliodas and Elizabeth enter the room. "I'm glad you came back! You took the job, right? Boss, I watched the counter while you were away!"

"I thought I told you not to come back?" Meliodas gripes.

Diane sticks her tongue out at him. "You don't really mean that!" Any anger from the previous day seems to have evaporated.

"I really mean it," he says, half under his breath. "Anyway, Diane; King in the corner over there, let me introduce you to the Boar Hat's newest employee! Elizabeth!"

"Hurrah!" Diane cheers.

"By the way, do you have a last name?" Meliodas asks, turning to Elizabeth.

"Isn't that the kind of question you should ask during an interview?" she asks. He laughs, and she sighs with a smile. "Elizabeth Liones."

"Oh, like the governor?" Diane asks.

There's a moment, and then both Diane and Meliodas jump back in a move that would seem coordinated and planned if Elizabeth didn't know better. "What?" "No way!" "Seriously?"

"Obviously she's the governor's daughter," King says, drifting over to the counter and depositing his empty cup.

"Obviously?" Elizabeth asks.

"See you guys," King says, heading towards the door, his hands in his hoodie pockets.

"The governor's… ah, wait, King!" Diane yells, turning, but the door is already chiming as it closes.

"Wow," Meliodas says with a whistle. "I had the feeling you were a proper young lady, but this explains it."

"It's really not that big a deal… is it?" Elizabeth asks, blushing.

"Not at all," he says, at the same time that Diane turns back and says, "Yes! I've never been friends with someone famous before!"

"I'm not famous, my father is," Elizabeth laughs.

An elderly couple enter the cafe just then, and Meliodas separates himself from the girls to wait on them.

"Um, sorry if I overreacted just now," Diane says after a moment, tugging at her hair. She's wearing it down today, but that seems to be a habit of hers. "That kind of thing just feels like a whole different world to me."

"It's okay," Elizabeth says. She's met people who suck up to her because of her father, and private school had been its own world of cliques and social capital. Diane and Meliodas's reactions had been embarrassing, but at least … they were _honest_. "Um," she says, playing with a strand of her own hair, "you said just now that we were… friends?"

"Yeah, of course," Diane says. "Especially now that you'll be working here. It sucks being around lame guys all day!" she laughs. "We should be best friends! I mean, if you don't — Um, is that okay … with you?" Diane asks, looking bashful.

"It's definitely okay with me!" Elizabeth exclaims. She covers her mouth at her outburst.

"That's awesome!" Diane exclaims right back, grasping Elizabeth's hands in the moment.

"Now kiss," Meliodas whispers, having crept up between them.

Diane karate chops the top of his head. "Oh," Elizabeth says.

"You're such a moron, boss!"

* * *

 _If you like, please let me know what you think! Or if you don't like, for that matter…_


	3. the first day

_i won't be updating so constantly all the time — i just wanted to finish introducing the main cast. while it's an au, i hope characterizations mostly ring true; with gowther especially i tried to strike a balance between "doll" and "heart" gowther, but that's hard to figure out…_

 _please let me know what you think of it all, and thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

Since it's Friday, before Elizabeth leaves, she and Meliodas agree that she'll officially start working on Monday afternoon. When Diane has to rush off to practice, Elizabeth follows her out of Boar's Hat: it's her job, now, somehow, but she's still a little shy to hang out at the cafe alone. Even if everyone seems nice. And friendly. And … well, incredibly weird.

Still… it seems like a fun place to work.

Elizabeth gets home to an empty house and prepares for a quiet weekend. She considers going out to buy a mini-skirt, as requested, but on Saturday she's woken up early.

She rolls towards the edge of her bed, surrounded by an ocean of ruffled blankets and pillows, her faithful old stuffed dragon at her elbow. The song she'd chosen as her ring tone keeps trilling on and on, and she fumbles for and presses the icon on the screen. "Hello?"

"You're needed," a gruff man says.

Elizabeth blinks, trying to clear the sleepy fog from her brain and eyes. "I think you might have the wrong number?"

"This is the governor's daughter Elizabeth, right?" the man doesn't wait for her to affirm it, or question her new title. "This is Ban from Boar's Head. How fast can you get here?"

"Um…" Ban. She remembers him from her first day at the cafe. Incredibly tall, with sharp features and an intimidating demeanor. How did he get her number? Of course, Meliodas must have given it to him. Why is he calling? It's so early, and… "I - I didn't think I started working until Monday," she says.

"You're needed today."

She doesn't know how to argue with that. Rather, Ban's tone is so curt that she's a little scared to try. "O - okay! I can be there in an hour!"

"Fine. See ya."

The call disconnects.

Elizabeth sits in bed for a foggy minute. What just… happened? Then she realizes she just promised to be at work, in an hour, which leaves her twenty minutes to get out the door… there's no time to shower, so she washes up and gets dressed in the first thing she sees in her closet. But wait! It's her first day of work, isn't it? She should dress up! So she picks out a different blouse and skirt, but then she looks too dressed up. What had the others been wearing? She can't remember! Elizabeth, get it together!

She ends up putting on a pink sundress and strappy sandals, hoping she looks casual but also a little dressed up. Then she's running late: she grabs her bag and runs from her bedroom downstairs, then out the door and the four blocks to the metro. By the time she gets on the train she's panting, sweaty, and exhausted, and sure all her work to look presentable has gone completely out the window.

It's only when she's on the train that the nerves kick in. What is she going to do? She doesn't know how to be a coffee shop waitress. She'd thought Meliodas would be training her. Come to think of it, why did Ban call her? Was Meliodas sick? Hurt?

When she does arrive at the cafe, she's greeted at the door not by Diane, but by a woman in a pink ruffled blouse and black mini skirt. "Welcome to the Boar's Hat," she says, saluting with a grave expression. Her voice is awfully low, and Elizabeth blinks.

Something Meliodas had said clicks for her. "Oh! Are you Gowther?"

"Correct. I am Gowther. Welcome. How may we help you this morning?"

"Yo, Gowther, I thought I told ya to clear the - oh, you're finally here," Ban says, emerging from the kitchen balancing two trays of iced buns. There's a short line of waiting customers, and nearly every table is full: Gowther makes her way over to the only empty one and begins clearing it.

"Stop blocking the doorway," Ban yells. Elizabeth starts and hesitates and then reminds herself that she workshere, and crosses the cafe to the counter. "Here's your buns. Six fifty," Ban says to an old lady, handing her a paper bag. "You, Elizabeth. Boss ain't here today, and I gotta work in the back. You know how to make coffee?"

"Just normal coffee," Elizabeth admits.

"Well, whatever. Gowther can handle it. Just help customers until it settles down here, got it?" Elizabeth nods nervously, and Ban looks her over. "Yell if you need help and I'll come out. Good luck, kid."

He doesn't give her any time to mentally prepare: with a wave, he retreats to the kitchen, leaving Elizabeth with the counter. For a few seconds she's frozen, especially with customers waiting expectantly for her… she takes in a deep breath and approaches the register. "Hi! Can I help you?"

"Cappuccino and a slice of raspberry cake," her first customer says. He's a middle aged man in a suit, and Elizabeth nods.

"Sure thing!" she says. There are two cakes on display on the pastry counter. Both have chocolate frosting and are dark colored. She reaches for the knife, her hand trembling…

"I said the raspberry cake!" The man says, pointing at the cake she didn't just slice.

"I'm so sorry! A- and let me get you your coffee… I mean, Gowther! Can you make a Cappuccino please?" While Gowther makes the coffee, Elizabeth concentrates on slicing the cake. She thinks the piece came out too big, but better too big than too small, right? "Is that for here?"

"To go," the man says, so she has to search for boxes and bags of the right sizes. Then she says have a great day! without remembering to ask him for money, and she isn't sure what the prices are…

Gowther helps out, and the man pays… and leaves without tipping.

Things slowly improve after that. Most of the customers are patient, and Gowther quickly develops the ability to figure out when Elizabeth is hesitating because she's clueless, and step in to tell her what to do. Her biggest fear is needing to call Ban for help, but the rush ends without that happening.

"I did terribly!" Elizabeth moans, leaning her whole upper body against the counter.

"That's true," Gowther says in her usual flat affect. "However, your positive attitude kept events from turning disastrous. A few customers even tipped."

"They did?" Elizabeth looks over at the tip jar, which has coins and a few bills. "I'm sure they were tipping you! You're so calm and collected, unlike me."

"That's true…" Gowther says vaguely, cleaning her glasses with a cloth.

About half the tables are still full, but no customers are waiting in line. Elizabeth takes the opportunity to lean back for a moment. She feels exhausted. Her heart is still pounding. "By the way, um," she says after a moment.

"Yes?"

"I - I hope I'm not being rude, but I was wondering, what … what pronouns should I use around you?" Elizabeth asks, blushing. Gowther has no breasts, hips, and has a low voice, but she doesn't want to embarrass herself by talking without thinking for a third time.

"I am a male and identify as such. The Boss said he was looking for a 'cute girl waitress,' however, so I decided to dress like this." Gowther tilts his head at Elizabeth's probably surprised expression, and smiles for the first time all morning. His face seems so much warmer, and kinder, with the emotion. "I don't mind. To me, clothes are just clothes, and I find it fun to dress up in different ways."

"I wasn't - I wasn't questioning your crossdressing!" Elizabeth insists. "I was just thinking… everyone here is so confident! I'd never be brave enough to wear whatever I wanted and not worry about other people, or wear a leotard in public, or … or joke around like Meliodas does…"

"I think Diane's lack of modesty is something slightly different," Gowther says. "And I'd term the boss's comments as 'sexual harassment.'"

"They're not that bad," Elizabeth says with a giggle. "If I thought he was serious, I mean…" The pig bell chimes as the door opens. "Welcome to Boar's Hat Cafe!" Elizabeth exclaims. "Oh! King! Good morning!"

King yawns as he approaches the counter. "You've changed your personality fast. I didn't know you were starting already."

"Oh, um, I guess I've just gained more confidence from working so hard this morning?" Elizabeth says. "You like black coffee, right?"

King nods, and Gowther slides a cup over to him. "Here you are, second-place-loiterer."

"Don't give me a weird nickname!" King says, glaring at Gowther and handing Elizabeth exactly the price of the coffee.

"Um, but speaking of that, you're a regular here, aren't you? We didn't really get a chance to speak yesterday, but I'd like to get to know you!" Elizabeth says. "After all, you're friends with Meliodas and the others, too."

"No, not really," King says, suppressing another yawn.

"But I thought I saw you and Diane talking yesterday…" she says, a little surprised. It's true that when King has been mentioned or talked about, it's been in teasing terms, but she's been under the impression that that's just sort of how these people treat their friends.

"Well, that's true…" King trails off. "I'm just a customer here," he adds after a strange pause. "Thanks," he says, taking his coffee to his corner table.

"Yes…" Gowther says, interrupting Elizabeth's train of thought, "he's definitely the strangest one of us."

"That's not what I was thinking! A - and don't say that so loudly!" Elizabeth protests, much too loudly. The cafe really isn't that big.

"Don't say what?" Ban says, emerging from the kitchen with a tray of pastries. He looks around the cafe, his eyes narrowing on the tables. "You survived. Good job."

"T- thank you!" Ban doesn't seem like a bad person, but he's still just so intimidating! Elizabeth's nerves all come rushing back. "Um, where is Meliodas today? Is he alright?"

"He had to go deal with a vendor," Ban says.

"Oh… I see. A- and, you weren't here yesterday, were you? Are you feeling well?"

"I was visiting someone," he says.

Elizabeth tries to think of some other conversation starter. He and King are so far the hardest for her to talk to, and it's much more important she gets along with Ban, probably, since they're coworkers. "That sounds fun!" she says.

"Not really," Ban says curtly, scanning the cafe again. "Alright, I'm taking a lunch break. Back in an hour."

"Byeee," Gowther waves.

"Ah-" Elizabeth says, but Ban is already gone. "I forgot to ask how long I'm supposed to work today."

"Do you have something you need to do?" Gowther asks.

"Well…" The answer is no, but something seems kind of sad about admitting she has no plans on a Saturday. "Not really!"

"That's good," Gowther says, smiling over at her. "I'm terrible with customers."

The afternoon progresses quickly. King leaves shortly after Ban does, and although the cafe picks up again at lunch, it's nothing she and Gowther can't handle. When Ban returns, he retreats to the kitchen, making sandwiches when she or Gowther relay an order. But by the afternoon, Elizabeth's feet and shoulders hurt, and she's exhausted. She's also a little disappointed that neither Diane or Meliodas have appeared at all today. But then, they're both busy…

The bell chimes. "I see you were hired after all," a woman says.

Elizabeth picks herself up to see Camelot Book's manager. "Yes! I was!" she says, at the same time Gowther says "That's correct."

"Huh?" Elizabeth turns from Gowther to the manager and back. "She told you about this place too?"

"'Too?'" Gowther asks, tilting his head. "I see. You know my sister?"

"… I'm sorry!?" Elizabeth yelps.

"Half sister. We haven't ever been properly introduced, have we? I'm Merlin," the woman says, sitting down at one of the stools at the counter.

"I never would have guessed. You two don't look alike at all," Elizabeth admits. On second glance, that's not true: both have the same striking amber eyes. "I - I'm Elizabeth Leonis."

"I know," Merlin says placidly. She smirks up at Elizabeth's expression, and then laughs softly. "You usually pay for books with a card emblazoned with your name."

"I guess that's true," Elizabeth says, laughing herself now that she's not terrified Merlin has psychic powers. "Well, it's nice to meet you! And thank you for the job tip!"

"Don't mention it," Merlin says, as Gowther approaches with a cup of tea on a saucer in one hand, and a plated slice of chocolate cake in the other. "Very nice, thank you."

Elizabeth waits for the siblings to have a conversation, but Gowther simply wanders off to bus a table. Then again… she isn't sure how old either of them are, but there seems to be an age difference. Maybe they just aren't that close? "Are you a regular here too?" she asks.

"No," Merlin says, shaking her head lightly. "I just wanted to see if Meliodas had hired anyone yet. I wasn't expecting both of you."

"I guess it would be surprising."

"Mm, but then again, I'll be coming here more often now," Merlin says. "When 'Boss' said he was having trouble finding help, he bet me free coffee for a year after I told him it would take me less than a week."

"You really bet on that?" Elizabeth isn't sure whether to laugh or be horrified. "How many people did you… try and send here?"

Merlin holds up her fore and middle fingers. "You… and… Gowther." She smirks at Elizabeth's awed expression and stands up with her cup and saucer. "Well, I'll be going now. You can pick up my dishes at the shop later. Bye~"

"Um, wait a second —" Elizabeth says.

"She's gone," Gowther announces as the door swings shut.

They both just stand there for a few seconds, Elizabeth dazed and Gowther… thinking whatever it was he thinks about. "Your sister… is a truly amazing woman," she says.

"That's true," Gowther says. He smiles over at Elizabeth. "It's interesting that we both were hired by her."

"Meliodas - actually, I think you're right," she says, correcting herself and then laughing behind her hand.

Just then the bell rings and the door opens. Gowther strikes a pose, and Elizabeth calls out: "Hello! Welcome to the Boar's Hat!"


	4. kid sister (i)

The next week, and then month, goes by almost too quickly for Elizabeth to notice their passing. Every day after class, she goes to the Boar's Hat to help clear tables and serve customers, then does her homework on the train home at night. At first it's exhausting, and sometimes embarrassing, but mostly it's a lot of fun.

"I'm sorry I'm running late!" Elizabeth says as she pushes the door to the café open with her back, closing her umbrella as she does. It's pouring out and has been all day.

"— Add 'the first day she worked, the register was completely off,'" Ban is saying.

"Hey, Elizabeth!" Meliodas says.

The café is completely empty; with this rain, no one wants to venture out and buy pastries. Ban is sitting at the counter, and Meliodas is standing on a chair in front of the white board they use to advertise the day's special or new coffee blends. Elizabeth fetches her Boar's Hat apron from the storeroom next to the bathroom. "What are you two doing?"

"We were talking about when you first started here, and Ban said that Gowther called King the weirdest of us," Meliodas says, twirling his marker between his fingers. "Soo…" He gestures grandly to the white board.

* * *

 ** _Who is actually the strangest person here?_**

 ** _DIANE_**

 _\- runs around naked_

 _\- thinks she works here but doesn't work here_

 _\- mood swings_

 ** _GOWTHER_**

 _\- no emotions_

 _\- no feelings_

 _\- no reactions_

 ** _KING_**

 _\- what kind of name is king_

 _\- looks 12_

 _\- cheap_

 ** _MELIODAS_**

 _\- pretty normal_

 _\- great hair_

 _\- the boss_

 ** _BAN_**

 _\- suspicious_

 _\- really tall_

 _\- cool dude_

 ** _ELIZABETH_**

 _\- doesn't use a nickname_

 _\- very_

* * *

Elizabeth feels her face grow red as she scans the list. "Why do Diane and King have the longest entries?" she protests, secretly relieved that it's not her. "A- and, I have nicknames! And you don't have a nickname, Meliodas!"

"Sure I do," he says. "It's 'Boss.'"

"They're definitely the weirdest of us," says Ban.

"A- and you two didn't give yourself weird traits at all," she adds.

"I wrote 'suspicious' for Ban," Meliodas says. Ban, sitting less than three feet away, doesn't so much as blink.

"Well…" it isn't like any of the things they wrote are _wrong_ , exactly… Meliodas smirks down at her. "H- has it been quiet here all day?" she asks, trying to change the subject.

"That's right. Not even our two loiterers have shown up," Meliodas says, jumping down from the chair and gesturing behind him.

"Diane should be here any minute," Ban says.

"Really? Did she tell you?" Elizabeth asks. She and Diane have both been busy these past few days, and aside from some quick texting, have barely seen one another. Over the past month, they've spoken almost every day, but have only been able to hang out a few times. At first Elizabeth thought it was her fault, for being at work every afternoon, but gradually it became obvious that Diane was _constantly_ up to something or another: class, dance class, dance practice, babysitting her niece and nephew…

"Naaah. She's just predictable."

"Diane's dance class ends at 3:15," Meliodas says. "After that, there's a kid's class for forty five minutes. At four, the studio is open for student use and she goes back until six or seven. So she should be here any minute now."

All three of them turn to look at the door, but there's no sign of Diane. Elizabeth looks down at the counter. "I… never noticed that," she admits.

"I thought you two were best friends?" Ban drawls playfully. But his comment strikes close to the heart, and Elizabeth flushes.

"Hey," Meliodas says, reading the mood. "It's no big deal. I've known Diane for a long time, that's all."

"No, it's my fault for not asking her about it!" Elizabeth says brightly. "I'm impressed. Diane is really serious about dancing, isn't she?"

"Yeah!" Meliodas says, matching her smile. "Next time she has a performance, we should all close up the shop and go."

The bell above the door rings. "We were just talking about you," Ban says without turning around.

"Which of us?" Diane asks. "Look who I ran into!" She looks like she's been caught in the rain: her hair, down, is stuck to her face, and her skirted leotard is clinging to her in a … way that makes Elizabeth blush just to see. Diane is closely followed by King, clutching an umbrella, his face clashing terribly with his hair. In his embarrassment, he looks almost angry.

"Wow, Diane, even for you this is a little…" Meliodas says, looking her up and down with a blank expression.

"Haha, I know! I forgot my umbrella today! Oh, thanks!" Elizabeth has come over, shrugging off her cardigan to help Diane cover up. "Lucky King had one!"

"I just was passing by…" it's only then that King seems to notice the dry erase board. "What is that? Why am I on there? I don't work here!"

"Neither does Diane," says Ban.

"Heyy!" Diane complains.

"And I don't look twelve!" King adds, clearly not done.

"Sixteen, maybe," Meliodas says. Diane comes to sit next to Ban at the counter, patting her hair dry with a handful of paper napkins. "Want a coffee?" Meliodas asks her.

Ban is looking at his phone; Elizabeth feels almost obligated to be the only one to listen to their fuming customer, who… seems to be out of arguments. "And 'King' is a nickname, just so you know," King says finally, reaching into his pocket as Elizabeth hands him a black coffee.

"What?" Meliodas says, suddenly interested.

"How did you get a nickname like that?" Diane asks, turning around.

"I thought you didn't share personal information?" Ban asks dryly, shedding some light on everyone's sudden interest.

Elizabeth smiles sympathetically. It's true that King has never really talked about himself in the month she's been acquainted with him. Diane seems to have a knack for getting him to chat, but despite his appearance on the white board, King really does keep to himself. But he's always very polite, and doesn't give a scary vibe like Ban does.

She wishes she could tell him that everyone's teasing is only because they want to be his friend… but maybe he doesn't want to be friends? But then why does he come here almost every day? Does he work near here? Come to think of it, Elizabeth isn't sure…

"It's just a nickname I picked up in school," King says, looking huffy.

"Oh, I got it. Like how I'm 'Boss,'" Meliodas says, earnest and sincere but joking.

"W- where did you go to school?" Elizabeth asks, interjecting herself a little nervously into the teasing.

"Isn't he still a high school student?" Meliodas asks.

"Kingswood Academy!" King snaps. "I graduated over six years ago!"

"What a completely uninteresting thing to get a nickname from," Diane sighs.

"Isn't that some snooty private school for rich kids?" Meliodas asks. Ban shrugs.

"I - I went there too!" Elizabeth exclaims, covering her mouth with her hands. She and King were classmates? Well, no, because he's older than her, but what are the odds? How amazing!

"You did?" Diane and Meliodas say at once. "I know," King says at the same time.

Diane and Meliodas remain in chorus: "You do?"

"I was in the same year as your sister Margaret," he says. "I didn't know her or anything, but obviously everyone talked about the governor's kids…"

"I can't believe it! Imagine, meeting you here!" Elizabeth gushes. "Oh! That's why you said you knew who my father was, back when we first met!"

"You remember that?" King regards her seriously.

"Of course I do! I thought it was mysterious. But this is really great! We have something in common, don't we?" Elizabeth beams, approaching him from behind the counter. Maybe they had some of the same teachers! Did he have trouble with the packs of elite kids, too? Did he and Margaret have any classes together? It's like King was just revealed to be her long lost cousin.

"I - I guess so," King says, looking flustered.

"Hey," Meliodas says from behind them. "What's with this weird reunion vibe? Stop flirting with the customers."

"I'm not!" Elizabeth protests, even though Meliodas doesn't sound serious. "She's not!" King says at the same time with just as much feeling.

"But woooww," Diane says. "I knew Elizabeth was a proper girl, but I didn't know you were one too, King."

"I - I'm not!" King protests, for some reason flustered. "I mean… not anymore."

His expression and tone take the air out of the room.

"Ah, well…" Elizabeth wants to say something to change the mood. She gets the feeling that somehow this has caused a divide in the room, and she doesn't know why.

Ban, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the past few minutes, speaks up. "Hey, Boss," he says. "We're dead today. Let's just close up early and go drinking."

"You make a good point," Meliodas says.

"What about my coffee?" Diane asks.

"I'll buy you a drink!"

"You will? Yay! Thanks, Boss!" Diane exclaims. "Let's close up the shop! Elizabeth, you're coming too, right?"

"Well…" Elizabeth hesitates. "It's kind of early."

"It's almost four," Meliodas and Ban say in perfect sync.

"Creepy…" Diane says, sounding awed. "Anyway, I have to get to practice. You can come with me, and we'll meet up with the guys later!"

"Okay! I'd love to see you dance!" Elizabeth says. Meliodas and Ban are already cleaning up, and she should help out — and then she remembers King, who has retreated to a table by the window with his coffee.

"King, will you come drinking with us tonight?" she asks him, approaching the table. "Um, I'd love to talk to you about school and stuff."

"No, thank you," King says, his energetic mood replaced by his more typical disinterest.

"King!" Diane says, approaching as well. "Don't be grumpy. I want to hear about you and Elizabeth's school too, you know?" her tone is scolding, but she winks at him.

He reddens. "I'm not going."

"Then at least come to practice with me and Elizabeth! You helped me out today, so I'll dance really hard to make it up to you."

King looks pretty tempted, and Elizabeth starts to question his motivations where Diane is concerned… but then he looks away, and Diane frowns. "Come on!" she says peevishly. "I don't know why you're always so cold! We're just trying to be friends with you, but you always act like this when we tease you or invite you somewhere!"

"I'm not friends with any of you!" King stands up abruptly, leaving his cup on the table. "Coming here was a mistake. I'm sorry."

"Wha -?" Diane immediately looks sorry, tugging at her still-damp pigtail. "Um, but you really did help me out today, and…"

He looks down and away, and when Diane can't find the words to finish her sentence, he grabs his umbrella and walks out of the cafe.

Diane turns to Elizabeth, looking devastated. "What did I do? I made him really mad, didn't I?"

"It wasn't your fault!" Elizabeth immediately insists, although she has no idea what just happened, either.

"I just wanted to invite him to hang out with us…" Diane says, practically chewing on her hair.

"Where did King go?" Meliodas asks, coming out from the kitchen.

"Now isn't the time!" Elizabeth snaps, preoccupied with Diane's dazed upset.

"Hey," Meliodas says in a gentler, coming around the counter. "Whatever he said to upset you wasn't true, Diane. A girl like you couldn't hurt anyone with her words. Now, with her fists…"

Diane chuckles, twisting her hair around her fingers and not meeting Meliodas's eyes. "It's okay. I was just surprised. Hey, I'll meet you and Ban later, okay? Elizabeth, are you coming?"

Elizabeth glances at Meliodas — he is her boss, after all — but he nods. "Have fun! We'll catch you guys later."

"You got it, boss! Elizabeth, can we share your umbrella?"

It's still pouring outside, with no signs of letting up. Elizabeth and Diane crowd together under the umbrella on the way to Diane's studio. "Are you okay?" Elizabeth asks halfway there.

"Mmhmm," Diane nods. "I was just surprised. I can deal with being yelled at, but I wasn't expecting it from King. I like him a lot, you know."

"Oh! I didn't — are you two…?"

"What? No! Not like that!" Diane says, blushing. "He's just a nice guy. He always listens to me when I blab away, and he actually has a lot of interesting things to say, so he's pretty smart. I guess if he went to some snooty private school…"

"It wasn't that snooty," Elizabeth insists. "I - I mean, the people there were, but it was a normal school."

"Isn't the people the thing that makes it snooty?"

"W- well, do you think I'm snooty? Or King?"

"I don't think you could be snooty if you tried, Elizabeth," Diane says with a giggle. "But King's definitely kind of conceited."

"Well… that's true," Elizabeth giggles.

The studio is on the third floor of the brick building, a large open room with wood floors and a barre along three of the walls, a floor to ceiling mirror covering the far wall. Half a dozen other students, four girls and two boys, are already in the studio, stretching, practicing, or just chatting.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late! This is my best friend Elizabeth, she's going to be hanging out here if that's okay!" Diane announces, peeling off Elizabeth's cardigan and her wet flats.

"Diane? What happened to you, you look like a drowned cat," says one of the men, approaching.

"I got caught in the rain, what do you think? Oh, Elizabeth, this is Howser. He's my partner."

Partner? Elizabeth blinks up at him. He's quite tall, with overly styled blond hair and a friendly expression. "Nice to meet you," she says.

"Jack Howser," he says, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you too. Diane and I have been working on a routine together."

"It's like a class project," Diane says. She's undone her hair and is brushing it with her fingers. "We have to create the choreography for a three minute number. Next month we're all performing."

"That sounds really challenging," Elizabeth says.

"Agreeing on a song took the longest," Howser laughs.

"My hair is still too wet…" Diane mutters, before pulling it into a ponytail and then a messy bun. "Okay! Warm up! Any requests?"

"I don't know a lot about dance," Elizabeth admits. "Like ballet?"

"We mostly do contemporary style here," Howser says. "Most of us know a bit of everything, but I don't know the first thing about ballet."

"I took it for a year when I was starting out," Diane says.

"Have you been … partners… all that time?"

"Nah," Howser laughs. "We just met this year, but we always get paired together since we're the tallest."

"That's discrimination if you ask me," Diane grumbles. "Okay, Elizabeth!" She lifts her arms and shoulders, takes a few quick steps on her toes, arms above her head — and leaps. "Grand jeté!"

Elizabeth sits on a bench in the corner and watches the group practice. Diane and Howser keep repeating a part of their routine, Diane leaping and Howser catching her, but don't seem satisfied with the result or the staging. They try it from different directions, different steps; when Howser gets tired of catching a flying Diane time after time they talk for a while and she then goes off to chat with some of the other women. Everyone is so graceful, make it look so easy. Elizabeth is a little jealous of their talent, but not in a way that's painful. She knows she could never do anything like this — let alone so casually, the way Diane laughs with the others and then effortlessly launches herself into a series of twirls that send the others — and Elizabeth, against the wall — laughing as she staggers around dizzily.

Nothing ever seems to get to Diane. It's not that she's never hurt, or upset — that's obvious — but she always seems to bounce back, shrug it off. Return to her happy, bubbly self. Is it because she has this? Because dancing is her passion and so Diane is somehow more sure of herself? Maybe if you know what path you were meant to take, you get that kind of assurance.

Elizabeth doesn't have anything like that.

Everyone had been teasing King for being secretive, but really, she doesn't know much about any of her new friends. Meliodas and Diane have been friends since they were kids, but she's never asked why Diane was in foster care… or had the nerve to bring it up with Meliodas, either. She doesn't know how he and Ban met, or much at all about Ban. Even Gowther is a mystery. But they're all so happy, all the time. Even if they must have lived hard lives… harder than her own…

She's not jealous of Diane's talent at dancing, but that kind of thing…

It's…

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Diane says, bounding up to Elizabeth. "Just let me change and we can get going, okay?"

"No, it's fine! Don't worry about it! I was having a lot of fun just watching you," Elizabeth insists, smiling and feeling like maybe she's insisting too strongly.

"Are you two going somewhere?" Howser asks, ambling up to them.

"We're meeting some friends for drinks," Elizabeth says.

"Really? That sounds like fun."

"Yeah, although they'll definitely overdo it," Diane laughs.

"That's a pain. Still, it's a lot of fun to go out and relax after work."

"Right?" Diane says. Howser is looking at Diane expectantly, and Elizabeth realizes he's hoping to get invited along. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow!" Diane says obliviously. "Good work today!"

"Hah… yeah, you too…" Howser scratches at his jaw.

Once Diane is changed into shorts, boots, and a frilly blouse that isn't that modest but has the effect of looking terribly concealing on her, they head out again.

It's still raining, but lighter than before. Diane chats, and Elizabeth thinks. "You're popular with boys, aren't you?" she asks, mostly thinking aloud.

"Eh? Do you think so?" Diane looks thrown, and Elizabeth laughs at her expression. "Why? Did someone — did Boss say something?"

"What?" Elizabeth had been thinking about King, and now Howser. She feels heat rush to her face. "Diane… do you like Meliodas?"

For what feels like an age but most only be a second, they look directly at one another under the umbrella, Elizabeth's chest tight…

"I used to!" Diane laughs, scratching at her cheek. Elizabeth sighs. "I had a baaaad crush on him for a long time. I guess I still do, but… I don't want to be with him, either."

"What? Why not?" Elizabeth asks. For some reason, she wants to smile, but she's also confused.

"I just mean… when you love someone, you never really stop. Even when you get over someone, you still love them a little bit," Diane says, looking at her feet as she kicks a puddle. "Once I decide I love someone, I can't help it anymore."

She smiles to herself, a kind, mature expression on her face… and then Diane giggles. "But don't worry! Boss is totally single!"

"I - I wasn't - huh? By the way! Where are we meeting them for drinks?" Elizabeth stammers, blurting out the first question she can think of and not sure why she's so embarrassed.

"It's just another block or two!" Diane says cheerfully, giving Elizabeth a knowing look.

"Anyway, it's you who should be worrying about guys!" Elizabeth protests, blushing. "I think your partner has a crush on you!"

"Whaaat? _Howser_? Really?"

Laughing at Diane's befuddled expression, Elizabeth holds the umbrella for them both as they hurry in the rain to meet the guys.


	5. kid sister (ii)

Kingswood Tavern is across the street from Kingswood Park. Despite what the name implies, it's not some ancient tavern but a comfortably shabby pub, with worn booths and a long wooden bar, which is where Elizabeth and Diane find Meliodas and Ban, crowded around a touchscreen quiz machine.

"Heyyyy. We were wondering when you were gonna show up," Ban says, more cheerful than usual and swaying slightly on his stool.

"Yeah, good timing! Do either of you know in what year the Avalonian dynasty was founded?" Meliodas asks, his finger poised over the quiz machine.

"Like a thousand years ago, right?" Diane says, squeezing into the empty stool on Meliodas's other side.

"Hi, I'm sorry we're running a little late," Elizabeth says, sitting in the empty stool to Ban's left. "Um, Avalon was founded in the year 507. So almost exactly fifteen hundred years ago."

"That's our model student for you!" Meliodas says, pressing the machine. It makes a chiming sound. "Okay, science question. What is the name of the outer-most shell of the earth's crust?"

"Teutonic plate?" Ban drawls.

"Nah, the options are…"

"Oh, Elizabeth!" Diane calls, practically yelling to be heard over the guys and din of the bar. It's not all that crowded yet, but between the televisions and other conversations, it's noisy. "That reminds me! There's a lecture next Friday at school, do you want to go with me?"

"A lecture?" Elizabeth calls back, blushing a little at having to raise her voice. The guys are still debating layers of the earth's crust.

"Yeah! Some famous geology professor is coming to give a lecture on rocks. It's free for students, but these things are always catered. We can sit through it and get a free lunch!"

"That sounds fun!" Well, the lecture really doesn't, but it would be fun to spend some time with Diane at school. Even though they're both students at Five Clans, they have no classes in common. Since becoming friends, Elizabeth has kept an eye out for Diane around campus, but has only seen her from afar once or twice.

"Great! I go to a lot of those lectures for the food, you know? You're sooo lucky you don't have to eat at the cafeteria every day."

"You should come over to my house for dinner sometime!" Elizabeth calls, beaming as the idea occurs to her.

"Wowww, really?"

"Can you girls keep it down a little?" Meliodas grumbles, as the machine buzzes to show his and Ban's answer was wrong.

"I want to try!" Diane says, her attention now on the machine.

"Can I get you a drink?" the bartender asks, likely drawn to their section of the bar by all the yelling. Elizabeth blushes. "Um, j- just a glass of wine, please."

"Red or white?"

"Red. Cabernet if you have one… thank you so much."

"Wow, classy," Meliodas drawls as the bartender moves on to Diane. While Elizabeth was ordering, the others had all shuffled seats, leaving Ban and Diane to the quiz game and Meliodas in Ban's former seat.

"I wasn't trying to be," Elizabeth says with a nervous laugh. "I don't drink very often, but my father often serves wine with dinner."

"I don't know how the wine in this place is, but the beer is pretty great," Meliodas says.

"Do you come here often?"

"Hmm, pretty often," he says thoughtfully. "It's not too far from the cafe, and it doesn't get a lot of students."

"I did notice that," Elizabeth admits. The whole area west of Kingswood Park is loosely associated with Five Clans university: there's lots of university housing and cheap apartments, and restaurants and bars catering to students. The bar is worn out and doesn't have a hip atmosphere: most of the patrons besides them are middle aged.

Meliodas suddenly laughs.

"Huh?"

"I was just thinking, we're all pretty uncool, aren't we? We hang out at a local bar and don't even have good parties."

"That's fine with me!" Elizabeth admits. Parties have always left her… not anxious, but sort of tired. But then, most of the parties she's attended have been functions her father has organized, full of hand shaking and platitudes. She smiles to herself. "I've always had to … be careful of what I did in public. My father wouldn't have punished my sisters or I, but our actions could have punished _him_. I never wanted to put my father in a position like that… I've never even been to a party. Not like the ones you see in the movies."

"They're never like the ones you see in the movies," Meliodas sighs. "If they were, they wouldn't be in the movies."

"Have you been to a lot of parties?"

"Some, when I was young," he admits.

"You're only a year older than me, aren't you?"

Meliodas laughs. "Well, that's true! But as far as all that goes, I'm happier working and living a normal life."

Elizabeth laughs, too. "I think I understand what you mean. Maybe…" she smiles. "Maybe we are kind of uncool."

The bartender returns with a glass of wine for Elizabeth, which she thanks him for, and a beer and two massive cheeseburgers he deposits in front of Diane.

"You're gonna get fat," Ban laughs.

"Shut it! I need energy for dance, moron!" she yells back.

"Did you want any food? It's not bad here," Meliodas asks Elizabeth.

"Oh, no thanks," she says, taking a sip of her wine. It's a little sour, but not terrible. She lets her thoughts drift for a moment, listening to Diane and Ban argue loudly over the quiz game; the tv in the background; snippets of other conversations.

"What'cha thinking about?" Meliodas asks after a couple of minutes. His body is turned to face her on his stool, although he'd been looking over his shoulder at the other two. He takes a gulp from his glass of beer.

"Oh! Nothing, really," she says. "I guess I was just thinking…" she struggles to connect her brain to something, some sort of question. "Did you go to Five Clans too?" If Meliodas is a year older than her, he should be in his last year. But maybe he went to a two year or technical school?

"Nope! I never went to university at all!" Meliodas says, slapping his chest proudly. "Neither did Ban. You and Diane are the bright young hopes of this little group. And I guess King, if he went to university. And who knows what the hell Gowther does in his spare time…" he laughs.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"

"It's not prying. When I got old enough to try university, I decided I'd rather work or _do_ something instead. And then I got the Boar's Hat…" Meliodas waves his hand vaguely, as if to indicate _and that was that._ "Why do ya ask?"

"I just… was thinking earlier, I know so little about all of you, even after a month."

"Is this because King stormed out earlier?"

Elizabeth nods, and then shakes her head. "No… I mean, not completely. I didn't know about Diane's schedule, or… I mean… a- about why you and Diane met in foster care…" she clears her throat loudly. "Or how you and Ban met! Or that you all hang out here, or that you hadn't gone to university, or, um, about your family, or Ban's, or Diane's parents, or much about Gowther besides that Ms. Merlin is his half sister, and I don't even know _which_ half, and, and um…"

"Woah," Meliodas says, laughing and holding up his free hand. "Slow down! Is that stuff really important?"

"Yes!" Elizabeth exclaims. "I mean, no! Um!" She feels herself blushing. "I just… I feel like… since we're all friends…"

"Hmmm," Meliodas says. He looks thoughtful, but doesn't immediately follow it up with anything else.

"Is that weird?" she asks softly.

"I don't really know," he says. "I'm thinking about it."

"I'm sorry," she says, even more quietly.

"No, no! I'm not offended or anything." Meliodas scratches his jaw. "It's like, I guess I know that stuff, but it's also just 'cause I've known these guys for so long. I'm not trying to keep secrets. But I guess I don't ask a lot of questions, either." He trails off for a minute. "Okay, how about this? Another job interview, right here and now. Ask me anything you want!"

"That's not what a job interview is!" Elizabeth protests, but he just smiles at her.

She sighs. Her face is still hot, she feels a bit like she's pushed or nagged or been rude. "Well… um… what's your family like?" she asks, trying to think of something innocuous.

"I don't really know," he says blandly. "I have two brothers that I know of, but I haven't seen any of them since I was ten."

"W- what? I'm so sorry! Ohhh, I should never have asked —"

He laughs at her. "What are you talking about? I said you could ask anything. My dad was a shitty guy, so I ran away from home when I was ten… I ended up here. Go on and ask," he adds. Elizabeth has her fists clutched in her lap and is staring at them, her face aflame.

She takes a deep breath. "Well… is- is that how you met Diane?"

"A few years later, yeah. We ended up in the same home after her parents died. She was only in foster care for a couple of years, though."

"Her parents—!" Elizabeth cuts herself off abruptly. Diane is sitting _right there_ , although clearly not paying any attention to this conversation while she and Ban are still playing their quiz game.

"If she hasn't talked about it, I won't either," Meliodas says in a more serious tone of voice.

Elizabeth nods, her mind reeling. Had Diane ever mentioned that? But then again… had she ever mentioned her parents? Her older sister, sure, but her mother and father? How can they be best friends if Elizabeth doesn't even know that? They can't, can they? Just because they said they were…

"You have sisters too, don't you?" Meliodas asks.

Elizabeth feels dizzy with stress, but she nods. "Um… um, yes, that's right. Two older sisters. Margaret is twenty-four and Veronica is twenty-two. Margaret just got married last year."

"Married, huh… I can't imagine getting married a year from now."

"Well… I can't either," Elizabeth admits, smiling slightly. "But she and Gil have been together almost ten years already… it's like they've always been married."

"And your dad is Governor, and your mom…"

"She died of cancer when I was two," Elizabeth says. She doesn't remember her mother, not beyond a few faint impressions, but she's strangely used to discussing her and her death. Cancer treatment and care had become Governor Liones's special cause over the past two decades, and Elizabeth is used to her mother's role in that narrative. "Father has had a few relationships over the years, I think, but he's always said there's no way to replace Mother. I don't think I'd mind if he remarried, but…"

"It's kind of sweet," Meliodas offers, finishing the sentence for her.

"Yeah," she smiles. "I've always liked the idea of 'one true love forever.' I also want Father to be happy, of course, but…"

"You're a romantic," Meliodas says in an accusatory voice.

"Well… maybe," she admits.

"It must be tough to be the Governor's kid," he says.

"It's not really! We grew up in a beautiful home with a lot of privilege and opportunity. I think your life… I mean, I'm not trying to say you've suffered! A- although if you have… I mean…"

"Have you ever noticed you get flustered in pretty predictable ways?" Meliodas asks dryly. He laughs. "You blush predictably too!"

Elizabeth covers her cheeks with her hands. "W- well…"

"I never thought of my life as hard, but I guess it probably was. I'm not a 'I'm blessed to be alive' type, it's just that it always just felt like 'living' to me," Meliodas says. "Does that make sense?"

"It does," she says. "It was the same with me. Being polite at parties was just 'living.'"

He smiles at her, his eyes warm, and she finds herself smiling back, feeling an odd sense of… relief. Even if he was teasing, he wasn't wrong: Elizabeth knows she tries hard, maybe too hard, to not offend people, and is quick to lose her composure. Nothing ever seems to get to Meliodas or Diane… or even Ban, whose perpetual crankiness only seems to be skin deep. They're all so… lucky.

"Okay, any other questions?" Meliodas asks casually after a moment. The bartender arrives with new drinks for them both — when had she finished her wine? — and Elizabeth takes a sip from her new glass.

"How did you meet Ban?" she asks.

"A couple of years ago," Meliodas says. "I guess more like five. He was also in the system. We've been best friends ever since!"

Elizabeth bites her lip. She hadn't known Ban was in foster care, but… if she's totally honest, he looks so frightening, it's easier for her to imagine. Is that awful of her? He just looks… like on TV, when…

"Don't get all guilt complex apologetic on me now!" Meliodas warns, laughing.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Something clicks in her head. "T… thank you for calming me down just now."

"Ohhh, you noticed?" he smiles.

"You're really good with people, aren't you?" Elizabeth asks shyly.

"Ohhh, you noticed?" he repeats, then laughs. "Not really! I've just known these guys for so long… and you're special, Elizabeth."

"Me? I am? How?" She finds herself tugging on her hair like Diane likes to, looking around for something less embarrassing than Meliodas to focus her attention on.

"Well, for one, those over the top reactions of yours are great."

"I… I, well, sorry about that…" she stammers. Her attention fixes on the quiz machine… which is abandoned. She blinks. "Where did Diane go?"

"Huh?" Meliodas turns himself around. Ban is slumped over the counter, his head in his arms, and Diane's stool is vacant. "Dude, how much of a lightweight are you?" Meliodas grumbles, shoving Ban's shoulder.

"She wouldn't just leave, would she?"

"Maybe she went to take a leak?"

Elizabeth slides off her stool. She can't remember the last time she saw Diane — a few minutes ago? She'd been so engrossed with Meliodas… "I'll go check!"

"It's fine, don't worry. Diane can take care of herself. She's probably just in the bathroom."

"Even so!" She's been letting Diane down as a friend so much… the least she can do is look and see! "B- besides, I have to go too," she lies.

Meliodas points her in the direction of the bathrooms — in the back, by the kitchen — but Elizabeth finds Diane before she reaches them. She's standing just around the corner, out of sight from their spot, chatting with an older man in a black shirt. "Thank you sooo much! I won't let you down!" Diane is saying. "Oh! Elizabeth!"

"I was looking for you!" she says, looking from Diane to the man.

"Oh, sorry! Thanks again, Mr. Hendrickson! I'll see you tomorrow!" Diane turns from Hendrickson to Elizabeth, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into the women's bathroom. It's shabby and small, with only two stalls.

"Who was…?" Elizabeth starts to ask.

"Guess what?" Diane interrupts. "I just got a job!"

"What? Oh! Congratulations!"

"Thanks! I'm so excited!" Diane is practically jumping up and down. "Mr Hendrickson said he was looking for a new bartender, and that I was cute!"

"Wait — he wasn't…" Elizabeth hesitates, not sure how to articulate it, but Diane waves her off.

"No, it wasn't creepy. He just said that cute bartenders get more tips and are popular with the customers, you know? This is going to be so great! I'll give you free drinks whenever you want!"

"Do you know how to bartend?"

"Nope!" Diane sticks out her tongue at Elizabeth's expression. "But I'm cute and I have big boobs, so I'm not too worried."

"You're pretty amazing," Elizabeth giggles.

"I've been thinking for a while I wanted to get a job, and this is perfect. And since it's a night job, I can still hang out with everyone."

 _A night job…_ "Will you have time for it?"

"Sure," Diane says, looking in the mirror and trying to fix her hair. She's finally dry from this afternoon, but her hair is a frizzy mess when she takes it out of her bun. She straightens it out looking in the mirror. "It's seven to midnight five nights a week, so it's not even a full shift, you know?" Diane frowns at her reflection, and then grins. "I can't wait to tell the others! Let's go!"

Seven to midnight… Elizabeth follows Diane out of the bathroom, feeling something nervous in her stomach.

Back at the bar, Ban is still passed out, and Meliodas is talking to a man with honey blond hair. "Hey! Look who I ran into!"

"Heya, Arthur!" Diane says. "Boss, guess what?"

"Hello, Arthur," Elizabeth echoes. Arthur is Merlin's assistant over at Camelot books; Elizabeth mostly knows him on sight, and from him dropping off his boss's dishes whenever Merlin raids the Boar's Hat for coffee and pastries.

"Wait, I have important news too!" Meliodas says, pointing at Diane before she can speak. "Look what Arthur dropped off!"

He holds up a flier. TEAM TRIVIA CONTEST!, it says, with a date for two weeks from now. "We're really good at trivia, right? We have to enter!"

"We're okay at trivia," Diane says.

"That could be fun," Elizabeth says hesitantly.

"It's going to be held right here!" Arthur says excitedly. "And the winning team gets a coupon for reduced priced drinks!"

That's a pretty modest prize, but Diane's face immediately lights up. "We have to enter!"

"We have to win!" Meliodas corrects, cheering along with her.

"Will you be entering?" Elizabeth asks Arthur.

"If it's okay, I'd like to join your team! Merlin doesn't want to enter, but I know you guys always are hogging the quiz machine…"

"Obviously you're on our team!" Diane says.

"Yeah! You graduated top of your class, didn't you?" Meliodas says, a sinister glint in his eye. "Between you and Elizabeth, we've got this in the bag."

"I'm only an average student," Elizabeth protests.

"I'm in university too, you know," Diane says, poking Meliodas's face.

"Awesome! We'll train together and have a practice round and —"

Meliodas cuts Arthur off by turning to Diane. "Let's see. Me, you, Ban, Arthur, Elizabeth, Gowther, and King."

"Seven people should be enough, right? Oh! Boss! We need to come up with a team name!"

"They're not listening at all, are they?" Arthur sighs.

"Or asking before deciding who is coming along…" Elizabeth sighs. "Are you sure you want to join our team?" she adds, joking a little.

"Definitely!" Arthur says. "Honestly, I've been looking for an in with you guys for a while now. This is the perfect chance."

Elizabeth blinks, then giggles. "I'm impressed you can just say it like that!"

"Well, why not?" Arthur grins. "Besides, it wouldn't be much fun entering with Merlin. She'd just answer every question right and walk off without even taking the discount drinks coupon."

"You're probably right," Elizabeth giggles. "Are you really a top student?"

"Well… I graduated second in my class, so maybe not the top…" Arthur laughs at Elizabeth's wide eyes. "What?"

"And you're just working in a bookstore?"

"Now you sound like my father! I really look up to Merlin. I consider Camelot Books to be graduate school," Arthur says cheerfully. "You go to Five Clans, right?"

"Yes, I'm studying socio-economics."

"Really? That doesn't seem like the kind of field…"

"Guys, quit your blabbing!" Diane interrupts. "Boss and me have come up with the perfect team name!"

"Yeah!" Meliodas echoes, crossing his arms over his chest. "There are seven of us, right?"

"Right!" Diane agrees, although it was probably rhetorical, and although no one has asked Ban, Gowther, or King if they want to be part of the group. Especially given King's outburst this afternoon…

"So we need an awesome 'seven items' themed name, right?" Meliodas continues, lifting his chin.

"Right!" Diane, and this time Arthur, agree.

"So from henceforth… we shall be known…" Meliodas clears his throat impressively. Elizabeth finds herself leaning towards him; so are Arthur and Diane, who already knows what their cool group name will be.

"The Seven Wonders of the World!"

* * *

 _please let me know what you think of this story!_


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

_i don't usually do author's notes, but a reviewer asked some questions sooooo in the interest of clarification:_

 _\- this is a coffee shop au. it's set in a real world-ish setting, although in a fictional city/country/world similar to our own. so everyone is a human, and aged up or down accordingly. there's no magic or clans, because coffee shop au. they all have last names or in some cases first names, because coffee shop au._

 _\- i don't know how long this story will be. i have 'character arcs' sketched out for everyone and a rough order for them to go in. when i finish all of them, the story is probably over. unless i come up with some other plot, idk._

 _\- i do read the manga. main characters in this story are elizabeth, meliodas, ban, king, and diane, and they're the ones i have "arcs" planned for. other characters will appear depending on that. some might not appear at all. (for example, diane's roommate.)_

Some biography type stuff:

* * *

 **Characters:**

 _Diane Gigantes: 20 Years Old._

\- Student at Five Clans University (2nd year), previously attended a local secondary school. Majoring in Dance, her specialty is contemporary style. Undeclared minor. She lives in the school dorms (roommate: Guila Etroit). Has an older sister, Matrona, who lives with her family in the city. Lost the rest of her family in a car accident when Diane was 12 and Matrona 17.

\- Works at Kingswood Tavern (bartender).

 _Elizabeth Leonis: 21 Years Old._

\- Student at Five Clans University (3rd year), previously attended Kingswood Private Academy. Majoring in Socio-Economics with a minor in Political Science. In the top ten percent of her class, but doesn't seem to really enjoy her studies. She lives at home with her father, Governor Barta Leonis. Has two older sisters, Margaret (24, married) and Veronica (22, in the Defense Force). Her mother died of cancer when she was two.

\- Works at Boar's Hat Café (waitress).

 _Meliodas Eber: 22 Years Old._

\- Acting manager of the Boar's Hat Café for two years. Didn't attend university; his secondary school record is unknown. Ran away from home when he was ten years old, legally changed his surname when he reached maturity. Has two younger brothers he hasn't seen in twelve years; thinks of Diane as a younger sister.

\- Owns and manages the Boar's Hat Café. Lives alone in a two bedroom apartment above the café that he inherited from the previous owner.

\- Everyone but Elizabeth and King call him Boss. Most do because they work for him; Diane does because she wants to work for him.

 _Ban (last name unknown): 22 Years Old._

\- Chef and baker at Boar's Hat Café for two years. Didn't attend university, and his other schooling history is also unknown. Has a prominent scar on his cheek, jaw, and neck. His history is unknown to Elizabeth and Diane. He lives in a small studio apartment in Conrad.

\- Works at Boar's Hat Café (chef/baker).

 _King (alias): 24 Years Old._

\- A young-looking regular customer who has been coming to the Boar's Hat almost daily for a year. He attended Kingswood Private Academy, where he claims he got the nickname 'King'; other education, place of residence, job, and family are all unknown, and a sore subject with him. Despite having attended an elite private school for rich kids, he only orders the cheapest items off the menu.

 _Arthur Pendragon: 23 Years Old._

\- Graduated from Five Clans University the year before, second in his class. Now works for Merlin at Camelot Books. Likes contests and wants to be friends with the gang. Doesn't seem to have any complexes or tragic backstory or big secrets in his past.

 _Gowther (last name unknown): Age Unknown._

\- Weekend help at the Boar's Hat. He's odd and bad with customers, but good at the rest of his job. Gets along well with Elizabeth and Diane.

 _Merlin (last name unknown): 32._

\- Manager of Camelot Books. Is friendly with Meliodas, but not too interested in hanging out with the group. Helps herself to pastries and coffee and never pays; Elizabeth has to fetch her dishes from the bookstore later, if Arthur doesn't drop them off himself.

* * *

 **The City:**

\- The city is built on the coast on a slight peninsula, with the Tay River along the north and west borders, and the Martin River and basin to the south. The peninsula itself is in a larger bay, with land to the north extending another thirty miles out to sea. It is the capital of its region, but not the entire country; Governor Leonis has been serving for over a decade and is still very popular for his even-handed approach to leadership.

\- The city is broken up into many neighborhoods and districts. Five Clans University is in the University district on the northern bank of the Tay; it's bordered to the east by Kingswood, named for the influential Kingswood family. The Boar's Hat sits more or less on the border between the two. Just across the river is Conrad, an area of the city with a bad reputation. The center of the city is packed against the coast and between the rivers, full of skyscrapers and large buildings. The Martin River and basin are full of docks and fishing warehouses, and south of the river the city gives way to houses and suburbs. The Governor's mansion is in fact a large townhouse on Avalon Street, in the ritzy neighborhood bordering Holy Knight Square. From her bedroom window, Elizabeth can see Camelot Castle where, hundreds of years ago, nobility gathered to remake the constitution in order to strip power from the king and institute a more democratic government. Nowadays, the former castle is a popular tourist destination.

\- The world is mostly at peace. The country does not have a military, but does have a Defense Force. It's of medium size with a good economy. The age of adulthood is 18, which is also the drinking age. Students attend secondary school at either a college or a trade school, with colleges focusing on preparing you for university and 'advanced' careers and trade schools preparing you for work and careers such as teacher or electrician. Five Clans is not the only university around, but it has the reputation for being one of the best in the country. It doesn't have many arts programs, but has top-notch social science, natural science, and law programs.

\- Some of this information is useful for the story, but most of it is not.


	7. kid sister (iii)

The Seven… Wonders of the World.

Meliodas has lifted his arm in the air like an athlete on a movie poster, the center of everyone's attention and stares. Elizabeth isn't sure what to say or how to react; Diane and Arthur have no such hesitations.

"I love it!" Diane exclaims. "It's perfect!" Arthur says. All three of them turn to Elizabeth.

"I mean, maybe it's a little long, but…" she says.

"There aren't a lot of seven-items themed names out there!" Meliodas says, waving her off. Elizabeth can't help but laugh at his obvious pride and the simple enthusiasm of Diane and Arthur.

"I want to be Stonehenge!" Diane says.

"Oh, that's a good one. Maybe I can be the Great Pyramid?" Arthur muses.

"Do we each need one for ourselves?" Elizabeth asks, at the same time racking her brain for the other five wonders. The Hanging Gardens? Or what about the Great Library? Gardens would be beautiful, but a library definitely implies she has some brains… would that be arrogant?

"Of course! What kind of team would we be otherwise?" Meliodas says smugly. He reaches across the bar, his empty cup in his hand, and starts using it to prod at the still-sleeping Ban. "Hey, hey, hey, hey," he chants with each poke.

"So Gowther can be the Coliseum," Diane says, counting off on her finger.

"Really? I thought Ban would be a better pick for that," Arthur says.

"Ohh, you're right. Hmm, then he can be the Great Lighthouse? Elizabeth, what do you think?" Diane asks.

"Ban is a good pick for the Coliseum!" Elizabeth says.

"Boss, which one do you want to be?"

"I wanna be the Leshan Buddha!" Meliodas says right away, still prodding away at Ban.

"Sounds great!" Diane says, impressed.

"But… that doesn't suit you at all," Arthur says.

Elizabeth covers her mouth so as not to laugh; she'd been thinking exactly the same thing.

"What? How the hell not?" Meliodas asks, puffing out his chest and sitting up straight on his stool.

"It's just, when I think of you, I don't think 'huge statue of a serene holy figure,'" Arthur says, unfazed.

"Wouldn't the Great Pyramid suit Meliodas?" Elizabeth interjects. "It's the oldest of the wonders, isn't it?"

"In that case, wouldn't it be King?" Meliodas snorts.

"A- and Arthur, you could be the Great Library, since you're probably the smartest of all of us, right?" Elizabeth continues, trying to flatter him. She's not sure if it works, but Arthur smiles, not seeming offended that his first choice was taken. "Ban is the Coliseum, Diane is Stonehenge, Gowther should be the Buddha since he's always serene…"

"I'd say more like weirdly unflappable," Diane interrupts with a giggle.

"So that leaves you and King to be the Lighthouse and the Hanging Gardens," Arthur finishes.

"…Right," Elizabeth agrees. Although when she thinks about it… being the gardens would be nice, since they were supposed to be a really beautiful place, but neither of them really suit her. Or King, for that matter.

"Then that's easy. King is the Hanging Gardens, and Elizabeth is the Lighthouse," Meliodas says. He's given up on prodding Ban awake and raises his empty glass up for a toast. "To the Wonders of the World!"

"Cheers!" Arthur says. Elizabeth hurries to raise her wine glass with Diane's beer, Meliodas's empty glass, and Arthur's cocktail. "To the future winners of the trivia contest!" Diane exclaims. "I'll text the others to let them know! Arthur, give me your number too!"

"This will be great!" Arthur says, scrawling it on a napkin. "I'm glad I got in you guys's team."

"Do we know anything about our competition? How far are we prepared to go in acts of sabotage?" Meliodas asks him seriously.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Elizabeth asks, sipping her wine nervously.

"Am I?" Meliodas says mysteriously.

Elizabeth's hip vibrates as she receives a text message. She pulls out her phone and sees Meliodas do the same. Between almost as many emotes as actual letters, Diane's group text has announced the trivia contest, misspelled or abbreviated various words, and assigned everyone their official nicknames.

"How did you spell 'Coliseum' right and 'Pyramid' wrong?" Arthur asks.

"Why is my name surrounded by heart eyes faces?" Meliodas asks.

Elizabeth had kind of wondered that too. Her own name was surrounded in sparkles and dancing bunny girls, which she supposes is an improvement, but she's used to Diane's texting … style. As she's examining the various emotes, Gowther texts back with a simple "Understood (peace sign, sparkle)." That just left Ban and King… assuming they even wanted to be involved with this.

"I almost feel left out since I'm just 'Arthur,'" Arthur laughs.

"It's only because I added you just now," Diane says, texting. A moment later a new parade of emotes and the word YAY appears on Elizabeth's screen in reply to Gowther.

"Oh!" Diane says, looking up from her phone. "I totally forgot! I have big news too!"

"Oh, right, you were saying something earlier," Meliodas says, setting his on the bar.

"Oh, right," Arthur echoes. Elizabeth had almost forgotten about it too, with everything else being discussed and debated.

"I got a job!" Diane proclaims, raising both her arms in a cheer. "I'm this bar's new cute waitress!"

"Wow, congrats!" Arthur says. Elizabeth is about to congratulate her again too… but she catches sight of Meliodas.

"You got a job?" he asks. He's frowning — just a little, barely a crease between his eyebrows — but in doing so, Elizabeth suddenly realizes consciously what she already knew. She's never really seen him angry, or annoyed. She hasn't seen him so much as frown even once in the month she's known him.

"That's right," Diane says, lowering her arms and flipping her hair over her shoulder. She gives Meliodas a sideways look, and continues proudly: "I'm the new cute bartender right here at Kingswood Tavern!"

"Wow!" Arthur says again. "Congrats! We'll have to come and see you all the time."

"Congrats!" Elizabeth echoes enthusiastically, feeling a flutter in her stomach.

"Thanks! I'm really excited! I've been looking for a job forever," Diane says cheerfully, leaning over to prod at the still sleeping Ban. "Hey, wake up and congratulate me, Ban!"

Meliodas doesn't say anything, just frowns at his glass. He catches Elizabeth watching him out of the corner of her eye before she can pretend she isn't. He smiles. "Hey, do you want another drink?"

"Oh… no thank you," she says. Two glasses of wine is more than enough for her. She can feel a creeping fuzziness in the edges of her mind; maybe that's why she can't decide if she should ask him what she wants to. Arthur and Diane are still chatting, Diane already given up on rousing Ban and now using his head as a rest for her elbow; Elizabeth half listens and tries to decide if she should ask Meliodas. Why are you upset? Why did you never hire Diane? Meliodas is watching them over her shoulder, frowning at Diane.

It's the one thing she can't puzzle out. Everyone is so close, such good friends… but there's this strange gap between Meliodas and Diane. Him always telling her to go away, her loud announcements that he doesn't mean it… their history together. Once I decide I love someone, I can't help it any more.

Diane had said she didn't feel that way, but…

Could she and Meliodas…?

"Um…!" Elizabeth says, gathering up all her nerves, feeling something cold and tight in her gut —

"I think I'm going to call it a night," Meliodas says abruptly. He's smiling but it's not quite in his eyes. "I'll pick up the tab this time if you help me get Ban up!" He addresses this to the group at large.

"Even mine? Thanks!" Arthur says, sliding off his stool.

"Of course! Anything for the Great Library Wonder of the World!"

"You know, it really is a clunky title," Arthur laughs.

Although they never exchanged words about it, Diane and Meliodas seem to be ignoring one another; Diane turning her attention pointedly to the quiz machine as the guys work to rouse and then prop Ban up. "You can crash on my couch tonight, I'm not dragging your ass to Conrad," Meliodas says, counting out some money and placing it on the bar.

"mmmmkaaay, boss," Ban drawls, slouched over Meliodas's shoulder, Arthur hovering apprehensively a step or two behind them. With Ban and Meliodas's height difference, the balance looks precarious. Elizabeth smiles at the picture, but somehow all the fun has drained out of the evening.

"I'll come with you guys. Which way are you headed?" Arthur is asking.

"Back to the café. I live upstairs. Elizabeth, will you be okay from here?"

"Y- yes! Me and Diane will be just fine!" she says. Diane turns to look at her at her name.

Meliodas smiles. "Great! See you tomorrow!" he says to Elizabeth.

"Um… right," Elizabeth says. There's something heavy and unsaid in the bar, and it's pressing down on her more and more. Doesn't Arthur feel it too? Doesn't everyone? Don't Meliodas and Diane?

"Oh… and Diane," Meliodas says, just as it's becoming unbearable. He smiles. "Get some sleep, okay?"

Diane glares — her whole body tight as a wire, her teeth clenched in her jaw. She doesn't reply. As soon as the guys have made their slow way out the door, she's up from her stool in a flash, stomping out the tavern door after them.

Elizabeth grabs her purse. "Diane!" she calls, hurrying after her. She's sure that Diane is going to chase the trio and yell at Meliodas, cause some sort of scene — Diane doesn't wait for her, but the café is to the west and Diane runs east. Elizabeth runs after and catches up to her a couple of blocks away; there's an alley, a driveway and a dumpster and a chain-link fence, and Diane, her fist smashing into the wall. "Dammit!"

"Diane!" Elizabeth cries, out of breath. Diane raises her fist again and hits the brick wall for a second time with an open palm and a loud smack. "Diane, stop it!"

"Dammit!" Diane swears again. She doesn't seem to notice Elizabeth; her whole body is shaking. She raises her arm and elbow above her head to strike at the wall for a third time, and Elizabeth almost tackles her friend, grabbing at her hand and fingers.

"Diane! Are you okay? You're hurting yourself!"

"Elizabeth…" Diane says slowly, turning to see her, a little surprised. She doesn't resist Elizabeth's arms grasping hers, or try to pull away. Her hand and knuckles are already red and scraped.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Elizabeth asks again.

Diane's eyes well up, and she begins to cry. She doesn't hide her tears, blink them back: all at once they're pouring from her, her nose and cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry!" she says. "I'm so stupid!"

"No! No, you're not!" Elizabeth says, automatically, meaning it. She pulls the taller girl into a sideways hug, stroking her still damp hair, the way her sisters and father always did when she was upset as a little girl. Diane clutches the arm around her with one of her hands, holding her other palm, her hurt palm, over her eyes and nose as she sobs.

"I'm so stupid," she says again. "I'm so stupid. I knew he'd get mad at me, b - but - but, I was mad, a- and now he hates me!"

He is obviously Meliodas. "Of course he doesn't hate you," Elizabeth says soothingly, stroking Diane's hair.

"N- no! He does! I - I knew he'd hate me, b- but I…"

"Why would he hate you for getting a job?" Elizabeth soothes, ignoring the prickle in the back of her mind: the frown, the way Meliodas had ignored Diane, the way he'd left. But why wouldhe? What is it she's missing between them?

"I don't want him to hate me!" Diane cries, clearly not listening to Elizabeth at all. She doesn't mind: she just stands there, Diane's shoulder digging into her chest, stroking her hair and saying soothing things as the rain begins to pick up, falling on them both in the alley.

A few minutes later, Diane has calmed down a bit. Her eyes and face — and hand — are red and swollen, but she's no longer crying and the tension seems to have been leeched from her. Elizabeth leads them out of the alley and to a nearby sheltered bus stop, and Diane follows meekly, not meeting her eyes and looking like a little girl. Elizabeth had remembered her purse, but left her umbrella at the bar. It's only a couple of blocks away, but the rain has picked up to pouring. "We should get some ice for your hand," she says gently.

"I know," Diane says, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Just another minute or two, okay?"

"Okay," Elizabeth agrees. She doesn't know when the next bus is scheduled to arrive, or even what route it's on; for now, they're the only two people at the bus stop. The street has a few restaurants and cafés, but the neighborhood is mostly residential, facing the park. With this weather, there isn't much foot traffic, many people out besides the two of them on the bench.

"I'm sorry I freaked out like that," Diane says after a moment. She draws one of her legs up against her chest and wraps her arms around it. "All at once I just… snapped."

"How are you feeling now?" Elizabeth asks.

"Better, actually," she says with a weak laugh.

"I'm glad," Elizabeth smiles.

"You're pretty good at this, you know?" Diane says softly. "Taking care of people."

Elizabeth lets out a soft laugh. "I've always liked to take care of people," she admits. "Whenever my sisters were sick when we were kids, I'd spend all afternoon getting them snacks or toys… trying to tuck them in. Veronica would make me into her personal servant."

"That's pretty cute," Diane says.

"You think?" They smile at one another, Diane tiredly and Elizabeth cautiously. Diane's energy seems to have been completely sapped out of her, but otherwise she seems okay now. Or at least better. "Can I ask…" Elizabeth says carefully. Diane's expression changes, flattens. Elizabeth hesitates.

"Yeah, it's okay," Diane says, seeing Elizabeth's expression change too. "'Why do you and Meliodas have this beef?', right?"

Meliodas. Not 'Boss.' "Well…" there's no sense in denying it. "Kind of," Elizabeth admits.

"I don't mind telling you," Diane says, turning her head to look in front of her, at the mostly quiet street. There's not many cars this time of night, and it's dark, darker from the heavy rain still falling. "It's just…" she seems to be struggling for words, an explanation; her eyes welling up once more.

A dog barks. It catches Diane's attention; she lifts her head and looks towards Elizabeth's shoulder. Elizabeth had heard it too, of course, but doesn't turn herself until she hears a familiar voice. "Diane? … Elizabeth?"

Diane blinks. Elizabeth turns. A short man with burnt orange hair, holding grocery bags in one hand and a dog's leash in the other. "King?"

* * *

 _if you're enjoying this (or not) please let me know what you think!_


	8. kid sister (iv)

The three of them are frozen for a moment, King in the rain and the girls sitting in the bus stop, King's dog tugging at the leash. Then King approaches them, pulling the hood of his jacket down once he's under the awning.

"Good evening," Elizabeth says politely, as the dog circles from her to Diane and back again. Diane reaches over and scratches the dog's ears with her unhurt hand.

"I didn't know you had a dog," Diane says, smiling, but her voice is still flat; tired and drained. Elizabeth watches King look over Diane: her red eyes, swollen knuckles, the obvious signs she's been crying. Diane looks bedraggled and exhausted and wet from the rain. Elizabeth scoots closer to her friend on the bench, so their shoulders are pressed together. The dog jumps up on his hind legs, resting his front paws on Diane's knees, his tail wagging as she pets him.

"Oslo! Get down," King scolds. "And — yeah. I have a dog." He looks over at Elizabeth. "Is everything okay?"

She doesn't quite know how to answer that question. "Hey, King," Diane says, while Elizabeth is trying to decide. "Are you still mad at me from this afternoon?" she asks bashfully, tugging at her limp hair.

"What? Oh — no, I'm not. I mean…" King hesitates. "It wasn't your fault, Diane. I was never angry at you."

King's dog comes over to see if Elizabeth will pet him. She does, pretending not to hear the conversation happening on both sides of her. Oslo is a shaggy, low-bodied mutt with gray around his muzzle; ignoring his master's request, he props his front paws up on the bench to allow Elizabeth easy ear-scratching.

"But are you okay?" King is asking Diane. "You look…"

"Haha…" she says weakly. "I got into a fight with Meliodas. Elizabeth has been comforting me."

A fight? Scratching Oslo's ears, ELizabeth isn't sure that's what she'd call it. Diane had announced her new job, and then they'd ignored one another until Meliodas had left. Why did King have to show up just now? She immediately feels guilty for thinking so — it's none of her business, really, but Diane had been just about to tell her, and…

In the past, when Diane and Meliodas have butted against one another, Diane has played it off as a joke, ignored him, or gotten briefly upset before getting over it. Had she only been pretending? What if Elizabeth is witnessing a permanent fracture? And if so, what does she do?

"What on Earth could you two have argued about?" King asks.

"Oh… the usual stuff," Diane says vaguely. She says it like King knows. It's true they often sit together and chat in the café, and Diane has said as much. But… Elizabeth lets her hand rest on Oslo's head, looking into his brown dog eyes. If she and Diane are best friends, why does King know about it and not her?

"It's stupid, if you ask me," King says huffily. "It's none of his business what you want to do with your life."

"He doesn't mean it like that!" Diane protests — loudly enough that it draws Elizabeth out of her stupor; she catches Diane's face go red and her expression change back to upset, defending Meliodas and then remembering their fight. "I mean… he…"

"Well, either way… the two of you shouldn't just sit out in the rain like this." King crosses his arms, his groceries rustling in their bags.

"We'll head inside in just a minute," Elizabeth assures him, breaking into the conversation. "We need to get some ice for Diane's hand, anyway."

King clearly just notices Diane's hand only at Elizabeth's words. "What did you do to it?" he exclaims, immediately crossing the small bus stop to her.

Diane laughs nervously. "I hit a wall a couple of times?" she admits, blushing and playing with her hair and raising her hand for King to look at it more closely.

For some reason, King glares over at Elizabeth, who feels her own face grow red. "I - It wasn't Diane's fault!" she stammers.

King sighs. "Look, why don't you guys come over to my place? I have ice and some bandages." He makes it sound like a huge favor, but he's also blushing. Elizabeth's head is starting to hurt from all the connections she's missing. Diane and Meliodas, Diane and King… she's never even heard King talk this much in the month she's known him.

"You live near here?" Diane asks, with interest.

"Of course I do," he says huffily.

"Thank you very much," Elizabeth interjects.

King tugs Oslo away from the bench, pulling his hood back up. "Come on. There's no reason to sit out in the rain like this."

King lives around the corner and two blocks north. Elizabeth had never put much thought into it, but it makes a certain amount of sense he also lives in the neighborhood: after all, he does come to the Boar's Hat almost every day. His apartment is in an old brick building, on the fourth floor: he unclips Oslo's leash in the lobby and they walk up the stairs in a quiet group as he leads them down the hall and into his apartment, flicking on the lights.

"It's huge!" Diane says.

"Sit down, and I'll go get the bandages. Elizabeth, there's an ice pack in the freezer," King says. Oslo trots across the room to collapse onto a round dog bed.

The apartment isn't huge, but it's almost empty, making the room look larger. There's a small kitchen by the front door, with a table and two chairs. The living room is an open space containing only a sofa, the dog bed, and a low TV stand with holding books and a television: there's no decor or even a rug anywhere. A door off the kitchen has been propped open, opening to a tiny balcony hardly wider than the door, letting in the rain. There's another doorway on the opposite wall leading to a hallway containing the bedroom and bathroom; King heads down it as Diane sits at the kitchen table and Elizabeth opens the freezer.

It's completely empty aside from the ice pack. "Has he just moved in?" she muses aloud, wrapping the ice pack in the lone dish towel she sees.

"He hasn't mentioned anything… thanks," Diane says, taking the pack and pressing it to her hand.

Elizabeth shuts the balcony door and grabs a handful of paper towels to mop up the puddle on the floor from the rain. "It's very nice of him to let us visit," she says.

"It's no problem," King says, coming back into the room with a roll of sports bandage. "I couldn't exactly leave you alone outside."

"I'm pretty sure nothing is broken," Diane says, as the other two gravitate around the kitchen table. She removes her ice. Her knuckles are red and scraped and swollen, but not excessively; Elizabeth agrees with Diane's assessment.

"But they'll still hurt in the morning," she says.

"They hurt now!" Diane replies with a laugh, and then a bashful look. "Seriously… you don't have to take care of me like this. Both of you." Her voice gets quieter, shyer, as she speaks.

"Don't be ridiculous," King says.

Elizabeth helps Diane wrap some tape around her fingers, just in case, before reapplying the ice. King's apartment is incredibly quiet, every little sound seeming to echo around the empty space. She sits in the other chair at the table, and he sits on one of the counters, facing them.

"Have you lived here long?" she asks, trying to make some more casual conversation.

"About a year," King says.

"What brought you to this neighborhood?"

King shrugs. "It's pretty cheap."

The fridge hums. Elizabeth remembers King's reputation for never talking about himself. That doesn't seem to be the case right now, and she isn't sure why. She wants to ask him more, but she also is still worried about Diane, who is being quiet, picking at the grain of the kitchen table. "So after you graduated college?" she asks.

"Something like that," he says.

Could it have only been an hour or two ago she had been talking with Meliodas about secrets? Meliodas, who said he wasn't keeping secrets. Diane, who is so good at not mentioning things that Elizabeth didn't realize she had them. And now King, who is very obviously avoiding answering her questions.

What is it with these people? She sighs.

"What?" King asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

Elizabeth keeps her mouth tightly closed — but it's welling up inside her, and she just can't help bursting out with: "Why is everyone so secretive? I'm not trying to be nosy, but it seems like every single one of you spends most of your time being mysterious about little things, and it makes no sense! I hate not knowing what's going on!"

From his doggy bed, Oslo lets out a sleepy bark. Elizabeth catches both Diane and King staring at her, and she blushes, looking down at her lap.

"Sorry," Diane says bashfully.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about!" King tells Diane. Embarrassed over her outburst, Elizabeth doesn't mention that at least half of that was about him.

"It just… feels hard, being the outsider. I know you've all known one another for a long time… and I'm new, and it's not my business, and I'm being terribly rude…" oh, she is being terribly rude! Why did she say anything in the first place?

"No! Elizabeth, I promise! I'm not keeping any secrets from you!" Diane says, lunging across the table to try and grab Elizabeth's hands.

Elizabeth lets Diane take her hands. Diane is practically lying on the table, trying so hard to reach her. The sight is pretty funny, and she can't help but smile. Diane smiles back. "See?"

"I know you're not," she says. "And after everything tonight, it's selfish of me, but…"

Diane shakes her head. "No… I really mean it. It's not that I'm trying to keep secrets. It's just…" she scoots back into her chair, her expression serious again. "It's a little hard to talk about."

King is the one to break the silence. "…I'm not trying to be secretive either."

"Really?" Elizabeth says at the same time as Diane, both women turning to look over at him. He's staring at the fridge, but flushes.

"I mean… not from you… both of you," King says. "It's complicated." He keeps staring at the fridge. "It was never my intention to be part of the 'group,'" he says. "I just…" he trails off and doesn't finish his sentence.

"It's too late for that, King. We're your friends, if you like it or not," Diane says. King frowns and doesn't reply. Diane plays with her ice pack. "My family was in a car accident when I was ten," she says.

Elizabeth and King both turn to look at her. She's looking at her hands, her expression distant. "I was at a friend's house for a sleepover. It was the weekend. My family all went out to get ice cream… I called home to say goodnight to my mom, and my sister answered. She said they were going, and I got really jealous. I wanted ice cream, you know? Even though I was at my friend's house. I complained to my mom… there was an accident on the way there. A driver lost control of his car…" Diane trails off, heaves a sigh. "My mom and my sister were killed instantly."

But… Diane's sister is named Matrona. And is still alive. Elizabeth swallows, looking over at King — she doesn't know why, for support or to check in. Diane is still staring at her ice pack.

"Dad hung on for another couple of days, but he didn't make it," Diane continues, "and Matrona was in a coma for a while, and she lost her leg. It got crushed, you know?"

Two sisters. Diane had had two sisters. Somehow, almost more than the horror of losing her parents, that pulls at Elizabeth, draws the beginning of tears into her eyes. Diane's family had been just like hers. What if she lost Veronica? Or Margaret? And her father? What if she'd lost them all when she'd lost her mother? How can Diane be so cheerful?

"I stayed at my friend's house for a couple of weeks, but then I had to go into foster care. It wasn't bad or anything. They moved me into the city because Matrona was in Kingswood Hospital, and the family I got placed in was really nice. They had decorated my bedroom for me… bought me some toys and stuffed animals to try and cheer me up. That's when I met Meliodas. He'd been there for a year or two already."

Diane pauses again, looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, then another. "I was a real mess back then. I thought it was all my fault, because I was the only one who hadn't been there. I didn't want to do anything. I'd just lie in bed… watch TV… my foster parents didn't make me do anything. If I said I didn't want to go to school, they'd let me stay home. If I was a brat, they let me get my way. Everyone thought I was some traumatized little kid, even though I was the only one who was fine. I mean, I was the only one who didn't even get hurt, you know? It's dumb, right?

"Meliodas was the only one who didn't treat me like that. He'd boss me around… if I wanted to watch TV and he was already watching, he wouldn't let me change the channel. He picked on me for missing school. Or for not getting out of bed. I really hated him at first. He never left me alone! But then … when he found out I had taken a dance class, he somehow found a studio for kids and got our foster parents to enroll me. When I was a brat and refused to go, he forced me when they said I didn't have to." Diane smiles weakly. "He had this crappy old bike and I'd ride on the back. He'd bike me to all my lessons and then wait for me. Even if I didn't want to go. He signed up for Judo with me, too. And summer camp. And swimming classes. He really took care of me. He's so nice… he was always taking care of me." Diane's eyes are welled up; a fat tear breaks free and rolls down his face. "It's like he knew I needed to be busy to get better. He's always taken care of me. But… but now, he…"

Diane's shoulders tremble, from the story, the memories, or both, and Elizabeth gets out of her chair to kneel beside Diane's, wrap an arm around her shoulders. King watches from the counter.

"But Matrona got better, didn't she?" he asks. "She recovered from her coma?"

Diane nods against Elizabeth's shoulder, wipes her eyes. "Yeah. After a few months. She still had a lot of recovering to do… and she was only sixteen… when she was old enough, she applied for guardianship of me. Matrona gave up on college, on everything, to take care of me. Even though she lost our parents and Dolores too. She's so tough. She's - she's the best, you know?"

"She sounds amazing," Elizabeth says.

"Yeah," Diane says. She sniffs. "A- anyway, that's it. That's my big secret story," she says, laughing weakly. She rests her head against Elizabeth's shoulder. "Meliodas… he took such good care of me. And he helped me learn that I needed to keep busy, so that I could stay happy. But now we're both grown up, and he still…"

I don't want to be his kid sister! Elizabeth remembers. Meliodas bossing Diane around. Telling her she can't work for him. Rejecting her, getting angry when she finds a job… She smiles a little to herself. She'd been imagining something else, something darker, maybe. It isn't that Diane's feelings aren't real… but to Elizabeth, it seems that the problem isn't that Meliodas hates her. "He loves you a lot, doesn't he?" she says.

Diane doesn't reply; just sniffs back more tears.

There's a slight thump as King jumps down from the counter. "If he does, he shouldn't try to control Diane's life," he says cooly.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean it like that," Elizabeth protests.

"It's okay," Diane says, wiping her eyes with the back of her uninjured hand and sitting up straight. "Anyway, that's…" she takes in a deep breath. "Anyway, I - I'm actually still in touch with my foster parents from back then. And Matrona and I are both fine. So it's all okay, you know?" she smiles at them both, like she's trying to convince them.

Elizabeth smiles back. King clears his throat. "It's getting pretty late," he says.

"Do you mind if I crash here?" Diane asks.

"What?" King is immediately red and loud, although Elizabeth has almost the same reaction.

"What?" Diane asks them both.

"I - I don't have any…" King stammers.

"Diane, is that really appropriate?" Elizabeth says at the same time.

"He has a couch, doesn't he? I'm worn out. I just want to sleep," Diane says. If it weren't for her red eyes and tired expression, she'd look and act basically like always. Maybe that's the point, Elizabeth wonders.

"I can't let you just stay at someone's house alone!" Elizabeth insists. "As your friend, I think it's dangerous!"

"I'm standing right here!" King retorts. "It's not dangerous!"

"I'll stay too!" Elizabeth says, turning to him. He gets, if possible, even redder.

"It's sweet of you to try and protect me," Diane says, grasping Elizabeth's hand.

"I…" King looks lost and overwhelmed. "… Fine. Okay. Sheesh." He rubs his forehead, mussing his hair. "Okay. You guys can sleep in my room, and I'll sleep on the couch… I guess. But it's no problem. How did this even happen?" he mutters in a quieter voice, to himself.

Elizabeth can't help but giggle. For a second, she could swear King smiles back. "Come on," he says.

He leads them down the hall to his bedroom. It's a sharp relief to his almost empty living room: there's a full sized bed against a wall, a dresser, and about a dozen potted plants of all shapes and sizes, ranging from small flowering plants to potted trees. "How amazing!" Elizabeth says.

"King, are you a plant lover?" Diane asks.

"What? No, not really," King says, blushing as he strips his bed of its sheets and blankets and fetches new ones from a closet. "I take them home from work when my boss is going to throw them away… this room gets the most sunlight."

"From your work?" Elizabeth asks, as King starts to make the bed.

"Mm. I work in a flower shop," he says.

"You work in a flower shop?" Elizabeth echoes, smiling. Somehow… it's such a cute job. But somehow, it seems to suit the grumpy King.

"King, is this you and Oslo?" Diane has been examining the top of King's dresser, which is bare except for a single framed picture. Elizabeth walks over to look at it: it's a chubby little boy with orange hair, his arms around the neck of a shaggy dog. A little girl with blonde hair, barely a toddler in a white grass-stained dress, is laughing as she lies belly-first on the dog's back.

"Yeah," he says, throwing the discarded sheets in the corner and pushing past Elizabeth and Diane to reach in the dresser for clothes.

"Is the girl your sister?" Elizabeth asks.

"…Yeah," King says flatly. "I don't have any clothes you guys can wear, but if you want to use the bathroom, go ahead."

"Thanks!" Diane says.

"Thank you so much," Elizabeth says, following King as he leaves the bedroom. "I know we're really imposing on you… I mean… I didn't mean to, or anything… I know you like your privacy, but I didn't want to leave Diane alone, and…"

King hesitates. "Don't worry about it," he says finally. "I don't want to leave Diane alone right now, either."

While King makes himself a bed on his sofa, Elizabeth calls her father to let him know she's having a sleepover with Diane… leaving out the part that they're staying at a boy's house. It's only a white lie, but it leaves her feeling a pang of guilt anyway. She washes her face and uses the bathroom, and when she returns to King's room, Diane is sitting on the bed, having stripped down to just her blouse and underwear.

"Hey," she says shyly.

"Hi," Elizabeth replies. She strips into a similar state of undress and sits next to Diane on King's bed. Diane is playing with her hair.

"I just wanted to say… I know I've been really pushy and weird today."

"You haven't been!" Elizabeth insists.

"I have been! I've been mega crazy and emotional, and I promise I'm not usually like this!"

"I know you aren't," Elizabeth says.

"Right! And I'll try really hard not to be… but… for now, I mean…" Diane stretches out her legs. "I'm sorry. And thank you… for being a really good friend… I guess."

"There's no way I'd just leave you alone when you're upset," Elizabeth says, smiling over at her.

All at once, Diane reaches over and hugs her, and Elizabeth hugs back. "You're my best friend, okay?" Diane says.

"Of course!" Elizabeth says. "You're my best friend, too."

Elizabeth braids her hair and they turn off the lights, climb into bed. The whole thing is a little weird. The bed feels different, smells different. The lights from outside are wrong. The close contact of Diane is wrong, something Elizabeth isn't used to; she's used to her big quiet bedroom, her huge bed, the quiet hush of heaters or fans. Not a small bedroom with the rain on the windows and traffic outside.

"We should thank King in the morning," she murmurs, thinking of poor King, exiled to the sofa in his own apartment. Diane doesn't answer: exhausted, hiding her emotions, she must have already fallen asleep.

Elizabeth eventually drifts off, too.

She wakes up in the middle of the night. The room is dark, and Diane is gone, but she doesn't know how long it's been. She's disoriented at first — where is she? Why is she here? — the bedroom door is open, and she can hear the faint murmur of voices.

Elizabeth climbs out of King's bed and pads to the doorway, and then down the hall. From the end of the hall, she can see the kitchen, the door to the tiny balcony. It's open, and there are two figures lit by streetlights, barely more than outlines, standing outside.

"… really don't mind," King is saying. His voice is soft, but everything is so quiet that Elizabeth can hear him clearly. The couch is in disarray, Oslo tangled up in King's discarded blankets. "…I mean it. I like you a lot."

"You do?" Diane says, her voice just as soft. King tends to speak quietly, but her voice is usually loud… much louder than this… "…how do you mean?"

"…first time we talked, I…"

Elizabeth's stomach seems to clench up as she realizes this isn't a conversation she wants to eavesdrop on. Diane is in no danger. As quietly as she can, without being noticed, she creeps back to King's room and into bed.

Diane doesn't come back before she falls back asleep.


End file.
